Parallel Family
by Bluebox345
Summary: Susan and Jack Harkness are able to raise their daughter, Amelia Rose, on Drax Three for fifteen quiet years until they are kidnapped and sent to the Dalek Asylum to be an incentive for the Doctor to complete his task. Will 15 year old Amelia be able to survive the adventure? Sixth in my Parallel Universe Series.
1. Asylum of the Daleks- Part 1

**Parallel Universe Series**

 **Parallel Family**

 **Bluebox345**

* * *

 **A/N:** Happy New Year! This is my sixth story in my Parallel Universe Series, Parallel Family. I would highly recommend reading the first five stories before this (Parallel Universe, Parallel Earth, Parallel Future, Parallel Passion and Parallel Silence).

Susan is now 39 years old. I imagine Susan to look a bit like the actress Felicia Day (with glasses). Amelia Rose Harkness (Lia) is now 15 years old. [Lia is pronounced LE-A.] Lia's first body's theme song is Freedom Ship (Battlecry) by: Two Steps From Hell. I imagine Amelia to look like a younger version of Felicia Day, with green eyes.

This story will have a total of 35 chapters. This story will be updated every Monday and Friday, unless I can't get onto the website for some odd reason.

To get update information on my stories (delays or trouble posting) and spoilers, you can go to my tumblr account, Bluebox345.

~0~ is a flashback

' _Italics'_ are telepathic communication

 **Disclaimers:**

#1: I don't own Doctor Who or any of their characters. I however, do own my OC's and places that I made up.

#2: I do not own any of the images I have used for the covers.

* * *

 **Asylum of the Daleks- Part 1**

 **Susan's POV**

I groaned as I sat up and rubbed my forehead, "What happened?" I asked. Then I looked around the room. It was a white room with windows on the right far wall, which showed space and what looked to be a fleet of Daleks.

I swallowed and looked around to see Amy and Rory lying on the floor a little ways off to my right and to my left, "Jack! Lia!" I gasped, seeing my husband and daughter unconscious on the floor. I scrambled up and went over to them.

I first checked the pulse on Jack. He had none so I concluded he must have put up a fight and hopefully he would wake up in a minute. I moved onto Amelia, or Lia, as Lia had taken to calling herself. I checked her pulse and found a steady one.

I breathed in a sigh of relief. Lia's face twisted in pain and she groaned and shot up. "Mum!" Lia gasped, "Where am I? What happened?"

I placed a hand on her right arm, "Calm down, Lia. Everything's fine."

Lia turned her head to me, "Mum? But, you collapsed!" It was then that Lia saw a lifeless Jack, "Dad!"

"It's alright, sweetheart. He's fine." I said in a soothing tone. I had already figured out where we were. It was the beginning of series seven. As I finished 'fine', Jack took a deep breath and began coughing and sat up.

"Ugg. I'd forgotten how that feels." Jack said, rubbing the back of his neck with his hands, "Susan, Lia!" He exclaimed, after remembering what happened, lunging forward and hugging us.

I laughed, "We're fine, dear."

As I was checking over Jack for injuries, Lia said in a cautious tone, "Mum, Dad, where are we and why does it look like we are in space?"

Jack and I glanced at each other and stood up, "That's because we are." I said.

Lia turned around and looked at me in shock, "I've heard stories, but never believed it was…." Lia trailed off.

"True." Jack finished.

"Yeah." Lia said, staring out into space, "Who are they?" Lia said, pointing to an still unconscious Rory and Amelia Pond.

"Amelia and Rory Pond." Jack said, carefully, "You're Godparents."

"I was named after her, right?" Lia asked, stepping cautiously closer to Amy.

"Yes." I said.

"Their young." Lia replied dryly.

A groan made Lia jump back in alarm, "Ow, my head." Amy said, sitting up, and looking around, "Susan! Jack!"

I grimaced, "Hey Amy."

"You were dead." Amy said sharply, causing Lia to gape at me.

"Didn't River tell you how we survived?" I asked.

"Don't answer my question with another question." Amy snapped, standing up and crossing her arms.

"Don't you remember? It was that shot of Jack's blood that saved me." I replied.

"Mum?" Lia asked.

At Lia's voice, Amy turned around sharply and stared at my daughter, her mouth opening and closing, but no sound coming out, "H-How long has it been for you?"

I glanced at Amelia Rose, who's eyes were wide, looking between Amy and me, "Fifteen years."

"Fifteen years." Amy echoed.

Rory wakes up with a small groan and stands up, looking around, "Where are we?" Then Rory looked at Lia, puzzled, "Who is she?"

"Rory, meet Amelia Rose Harkness. My daughter."

Rory's mouth dropped open, "Wha-" Then Rory saw out the window and looked at the massive Dalek fleet, "So, how much trouble are we in?"

The door opens and a Dalek enters. I stepped closer to Lia, "How much trouble, Mister Pond?" The Doctor asked from the hallway and walked in, under escort, "Out of ten? Eleven."

"Doctor!" Lia cries in astonishment. The Doctor kept his face impassive, but discreetly nodded at Lia.

The ceiling opens and the floor rises, lifting us into the Dalek Parliament. The Dalek Parliament is large domed area with a multitude of Daleks in tiers around them, and the White Supreme Dalek nearby, along with an organic Dalek and the Tardis.

"Where are we? A spaceship, right?" Lia asked, looking around in amazement and fear.

"Not just any spaceship. The Parliament of the Daleks. Be brave." The Doctor said to Lia.

"What do we do?" Amy asked.

"Make them remember you. Well, come on then. You've got me." The Doctor spreads his arms out wide, "What are you waiting for? At long last, it's Christmas! Here I am." The Doctor closes his eyes tight, expecting to die.

The PM Dalek speaks, "SAVE US. YOU WILL SAVE US."

The Doctor cracks his eyes open, "I'll what?"

"YOU WILL SAVE THE DALEKS."

The Daleks began to chant, "SAVE THE DALEKS! SAVE THE DALEKS! SAVE THE DALEKS! SAVE THE DALEKS! SAVE THE DALEKS! SAVE THE DALEKS!"

"Well." The Doctor said, stunned.

"SAVE THE DALEKS!"

"This is new." Jack said. I sighed and leaned against him, Jack wrapped his arms around me.

* * *

The Doctor has walked to a place on the floor and was looking around the room. I crossed the short distance to my daughter and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. She shrugged it off and walked over to Amy and Rory. I tried not to show the hurt on my face.

Jack moved next to me. _Let her calm down. She's still in shock._

 _But we told her! We told her about our adventures, about the Tardis. Why wouldn't she believe us?_

Jack moved a free strand of hair out of my face and behind my ear. _Probably because we wouldn't let her see the Tardis or leave the planet. All those stories, were just stories to her and now, all of a sudden, it's real._

I sighed and leaned into Jack, ignoring Amy, Rory and Lia talking together, "I just hope our teaching was enough."

Jack kissed my head, "Me too."

"WE HAVE ARRIVED." The Dalek PM said, making Lia jump.

"Arrived where?" I asked.

"Doctor." The PM said.

"The Prime Minister will speak with you now." Darla said to The Doctor.

"Do you remember who you were before they emptied you out and turned you into their puppet?" The Doctor asked.

"My memories are only reactivated if they are required to facilitate cover or disguise." Darla responded.

"You had a daughter."

"I know." Darla said coldly, "I've read my file."

The Doctor walks up to the Prime Minister, who is the organic Dalek, "Well?"

"What do you know of the Dalek Asylum?" The PM asked.

"According to legend, you have a dumping ground. A planet where you lock up all the Daleks that go wrong. The battle-scarred, the insane, the ones even you can't control. It's never made any sense to me." The Doctor said.

"Why not?"

"Because you'd just kill them." The Doctor said flatly.

"It is offensive to us to extinguish such divine hatred."

"Offensive?" The Doctor asked.

"Does it surprise you to know the Daleks have a concept of beauty?"

"I thought you'd run out of ways to make me sick. Hello again. You think hatred is beautiful."

"Perhaps that is why we have never been able to kill you." The PM says. A hole opens in the middle of the floor. The Doctor and Darla walk back to it. A planet is visible.

"The Asylum. It occupies the entire planet, right to the core." Darla says.

"How many Daleks are in there?"

"A count has not been made. Millions, certainly."

"All still alive?"

"It has to be assumed. The Asylum is fully automated. Supervision is not required."

"Armed?" Amy asked.

"The Daleks are always armed." Darla replied.

"What colour?" Rory asked and everyone looked at him, "I'm sorry, there weren't any good questions left."

"I thought it was a good one." Lia said and Rory smiled at her.

"This signal is being received from the very heart of the Asylum."

Carmen comes over the speakers.

"WHAT IS THE NOISE? EXPLAIN? EXPLAIN?" A White Dalek shouts.

"Er, it's me." The Doctor said.

"Sorry, what?" Lia asked.

"It's me, playing the triangle. Okay, I got buried in the mix. Carmen. Lovely show. Someone's transmitting this. Have you considered tracking back the signal and talking to them?"

"Hello? Hello? Carmen." The Doctor said, "Hello? Come in. Come in. Come in, Carmen."

"Hello! Yes, yes, sorry. Do you read me?" Comes Oswin's voice over the loudspeakers.

I sighed and whispered, "Clara."

"Yes, reading you loud and clear. Identify yourself and report your status."

"Hello. Are you real? Are you actually, properly, real?"

"Yes, confirmed. Actually, properly, real." The Doctor said.

"Oswin Oswald, junior entertainment officer, star ship Alaska. Current status, crashed and shipwrecked somewhere not nice. Been here a year, rest of the crew missing. Provisions good but keen to move on."

"A year? Are you okay? Are you under attack?"

"Some local lifeforms. Been keeping them out."

"Do you know what those lifeforms are?" The Doctor asked.

"I know a Dalek when I hear one, yeah." Oswin said.

"What have you been doing on your own against the Daleks for a year?"

"Making soufflés?"

"Soufflés? Against the Daleks? Where'd you get the milk?" The Doctor asked.

"THIS CONVERSATION IS IRRELEVANT." The White Dalek said.

The Doctor spun around to face the Dalek, "No, it isn't."

"Because a star-liner has crashed into your Asylum, and someone's got in. And if someone can get in, then everything can get out. A tsunami of insane Daleks. Even you don't want that."

"THE ASYLUM MUST BE CLEANSED." The White Dalek said.

"Then why is it still here? You've enough firepower on this ship to blast it out of the sky." The Doctor asked.

"The Asylum forcefield is impenetrable." Darla replied.

The Doctor raised his eyebrows, "Turn it off."

"It can only be turned off from within the Asylum." Darla said.

"A small task force could sneak through a forcefield. Send in a couple of Daleks. Oh." The Doctor starts applauding, "Oh. Oh, that's good. That's brilliant. You're all too scared to go down there. Not one of you will go, so tell me, what do the Daleks do when they're too scared?"

"THE IMMORTAL ONE AND THE PREDATOR OF THE DALEKS WILL BE DEPLOYED."

"You don't have a Predator and you are certainly not immortal. Even if you did, why would they turn off a forcefield for you?" The Doctor asked.

"Because you will have no other means of escape." The PM said.

"May I clarify? The Predator is the Dalek's word for you, Doctor and The Immortal is Captain Jack Harkness."

"Immortal?" Echoed Lia, looking shocked and pale, at her father.

"Me? Me?" The Doctor asked.

"You will need this. It will protect you from the nanocloud." Two humanoids put a wristband on the Doctor's wrist and my husband's.

"The what? The nano what?" The Doctor asked.

"The gravity beam will convey you close to the source of the transmission. You must find a way to deactivate the forcefield from there." Darla said.

"You're going to fire me at a planet? That's your plan? I get fired at a planet and expected to fix it." The Doctor said.

"In fairness, that is slightly your M.O." Rory said.

"Don't be fair to the Daleks when they're firing me at a planet." The Doctor said.

Rory, Amy, Lia, and I all have wristbands put on us too.

"What do you want with them?" The Doctor asked.

"THEY ARE YOUR INCENTIVE." The White Dalek said.

Four humanoids come and grab Amy, Rory, my daughter and I to the hole in the floor.

"Let me go!" Lia yelled, struggling against the grips.

"Lia, Susan!" Jack yelled, running forward but restrained by a forcefield that surrounded him and The Doctor, "Let me through!"

"Amy, Rory!" The Doctor yelled.

"Lia!" I cried as she was shoved, screaming, into the hole. Making a decision on the spot, I jumped in after her, my husband screaming my name still echoing in my head.

In the stream, I caught up to Amelia and wrapped my arms around her, "Don't let go!" I yelled.

"I wasn't planning to!" Lia yelled back.

I looked up and saw Amy and Rory screaming above us and Rory was facing the wrong way, "Wrong way! Wrong way up!"

The stream split, taking Lia and I off to one side and Amy and Rory off into another. I twisted so that my back was to the ground when we hit, causing Lia to land on me. I moaned softly as Lia's body slammed onto me in full force.

Lia rolled off me and stood up, not helping me up and spun around, looking at the snow covered planet with wild eyes. I got up and asked, "Are you okay sweetheart?"

Lia spun on me, "Okay? OKAY? I got shot down to a hostile PLANET by the Daleks! Then I find out that my father is immortal! Just when were you planning on telling me?"

I swallowed. Oh she was pissed, "Lia, listen-"

"No, you listen! Why the hell didn't you tell me?"

A flicker of pain crossed my face but I quickly hid it, "We were going to tell you when you turned eighteen."

"Eighteen?!" Lia screeched. She threw her hands up, "I would storm away but I have no clue where we are!"

I heard a noise and saw that one more beam came down from the sky, were I knew the Dalek Parliament was and shot down near us. That could only mean one thing, Jack and the Doctor had followed us, "Jack!" I yelled, running in the direction the beams hit with Lia running behind me.

I came over a hill and saw Jack lying on the ground, slowly getting up. I ran to him, "Jack!" I cried and flung my arms around him. Jack smiled and drew me in for a kiss.

"Eww." Lia said, disgusted, which turned to concern as she said, "Have we realized who is missing? We Aren't Amy and Rory sent down with Mum and I? What about The Doctor, Dad? Did he jump with you?"

We turned and looked at our daughter, "You're right."

"Of course I'm right." Lia muttered.

"What was that?" I asked sharply?

"Nothing!" Amelia said rather quickly.

"Uhhuh." I said. Then I yelled, "Doctor! Amy! Rory!"

Nothing.

"This isn't good." Lia remarked.

"We need to move. We don't know where the Daleks are on this planet or if their weapons are inactive or not." Jack said, "If they are, we are in big trouble. We don't have any weapons on us."

"Oh goody." Lia remarked sarcastically, "We're trapped on an hostile planet, without weapons, are lost, and on top of all that, have no clue if the others are alright. Fun."

"That's just how we like it, don't we, Jack?" I asked, smiling up at my husband, "Oh, I've missed this."

Lia looked at me like I was crazy, "You've MISSED this?! You're out of your mind!"

"Perhaps." I said and looped my arm through Jack's right, "Shall we?"

Jack smiled at me, "We shall."

Lia made gagging noises in the background.

* * *

We had been walking for a while when we heard Lia say, "Mum, Dad, what's that?"

I turned around to see Amelia pointing her finger at the eyepiece of a Dalek stick that had popped out of the snow. Immediately Jack ran over to Lia and drew her back from it. It spins around, seemingly looking at all three of us, then it plays Carmen, the same song that we heard from the Parliament Dalek ship.

"Wrong switch, Oswin." I remarked lightly.

We heard Oswin's voice say, "Sorry, sorry. Pressed the wrong switch."

"How did you know it was her?" Lia asked me suspiciously.

I rolled my eyes, "I always know. So, Soufflé girl, how are you doing that? This is Dalek technology."

"You can always call me Oswin, seeing as that's my name. Concerning the Dalek technology, it's very easy to hack."

"No, it isn't, I should know. Where are you?"

"The ship broke up when it hit. Somewhere underground, I think. You coming to get me?" Oswin asked.

There was static and Oswin's voice was cutting in and out, making it difficult for us to understand her.

"You're breaking up!" I called.

"Doctor! Amy, Rory!" Lia yelled, still calling for them.

A humanoid walked over one of this hills, "There was another beam. There. Over there. Are you the rescue team?"

At the sight of him, I immediately tensed, remembering what he was from the show, "Could you take us there?" Jack asked.

"Of course." The man said, "My name's Harvey."

"We came down two days ago. There's twelve of our escape pods. I don't know what happened to them." Harvey said.

"Alaska? That's the same ship as soufflé girl." Lia said.

Harvey opens a hatch covered in snow.

Jack narrowed his eyes, "Yeah. Except she's been here a year."


	2. Asylum of the Daleks- Part 2

**Asylum of the Daleks- Part 2**

We were now inside an escape pod, "We should have some climbing rope long enough for that hole." Harvey said.

"Won't you introduce us to your crew?" I asked Harvey, maneuvering myself in front of Lia.

"Ah, yes, sorry. Guys, this is Captain Jack Harkness, his wife, Susan Jane Harkness and his daughter, Amelia Harkness."

No response.

"Guys?" Harvey asked, turning the corner to discover the crew are desiccated corpses.

"Oh, my god." Lia gasped, covering her mouth with her hands.

I checked my pocket and apparently they forgot to take out my sonic pen. I took it out and did a quick sonic scan, "They're dead. All of them." I said.

"That's not possible. I just spoke to them. Two hours ago. We were doing engine repairs." Harvey said.

"You're sure about that, are you? Because I'd say they've all been dead for a very long time." I told him.

"But they can't have been." Harvey protested.

"Well, they didn't get in this state in two hours." Jack retorted.

"No, of course. Stupid me." Harvey said, his face suddenly going emotionless.

"Of course what?" Lia asked, her voice slightly quivering.

"I died outside, and the cold preserved my body. I forgot about dying." Out pops the Dalek eyepiece.

I grabbed a CO2 fire extinguisher and lets it off in Harvey's face while Jack grabbed Lia and pushed her behind him, "Jack, the door!" I yelled.

Jack and Lia run to the door, while I continually sprayed Harvey the Dalek, "Come on, come on!" Lia yelled to me.

Harvey is backed through a door that Jack manages to get open, then closes and locks again.

"Explain. How'd he get all Daleked?" Lia asked, putting hands on her hips. I could tell from her expression that she was beyond pissed.

"Because he wasn't wearing one of these. Oh, that's clever. The nanocloud. Microorganisms that automatically process any organic matter, living or dead, into a Dalek puppet. Anything attacks this place, it automatically becomes part of the on-site security." I said.

"Living or dead?" Lia asked in horror.

"These wristbands protect us. The only thing stopping us going exactly the way he did." I said.

"Mum?! Shut up! Living or dead?" Lia yelled, trying to get her point across.

"Yes, exactly. Living or, or-" The corpses have glowing eyepieces, and are starting to move, "Dead. Oh shit." I said. I kicked the zombies so we could get into the cockpit. Jack and I pulled Lia's arm out of an zombie grasp.

"Zombies?!" Lia asked, breathing hard, her eyes wide.

"Yeah." I said, breathing hard as well.

"Freakin' ZOMBIES?!" Lia yelled at me, her face pale.

I laughed and leaned back against the door, "Oh I've missed this." Lia looked at me like I've gone insane.

* * *

A while later I exclaimed, "Ah ha! Hatch. Looks like it's been used already and they've tried to block it off behind them."

"Can't imagine why." Lia retorted.

"The lower part of the pod is buried, so this must go straight down to the Asylum." Jack said.

"Where Amy, Rory and The Doctor are." Lia said.

I started sonicing the hatch.

"By the way, why did you not tell me Dad was immortal?" Lia asked.

Jack paled a bit, "It was for your safety." Jack argued weekly.

"My safety?!" Lia yelled, "Shouldn't a daughter know if their father will live forever?!"

"Technically you are too." Jack remarked as Lia sat down, shocked.

I glared at Jack then went back to sonicing the hatch saying, "We don't know that yet. We only know that you've never gotten sick." I finally got the hatch open. A shaft heads down into the planet, with a flexible metal ladder hanging down it.

"Okay, so somebody else got out this way, then." Lia asked, hopefuly.

"Yeah, let's go and find them. Oh, what are they up to?" I asked, meaning the zombies are on a small monitor on the wall, waving something at the camera.

"What's that?" Lia asked.

"One of these." I said, figuring my wristband. "But where did they get it?"

Lia was staring at her wrist and said slowly, "Mum, they got it from me."

"Amelia." Jack breathed out, seeing our daughter's bare wrist.

Lia looked up at us, "Mum, Dad, what's going to happen to me? Seriously. Tell me what."

* * *

We were climbing down the latter from the Cockpit into another corridor. Jack had gone first, then Lia and lastly, me.

"So tell me, Mum, Dad, what's going to happen to me? And don't lie. Because I know when you're lying to me and I will definitely fall on you." Lia said.

"The air all around is full of micro-machines. Robots the size of molecules. Nanogenes. Now that you're unprotected, you're being re-written." Jack said, I could detect a slight horror to his voice.

"So, what happens? I get one of those things sticking out of my head?" Lia asked.

"Physical changes come later." I said, trying to sound comforting.

"What comes first? How does it start?" Lia asked.

"It starts with your mind. Your feelings, your memories, and Lia, I'm sorry but it's started already."

"How do you know?" Lia asked.

I allowed to my face to show concern on it, something I rarely did nowadays, "Because we've had this conversation four times."

"Okay, scared now." Lia said, her panic starting to show.

"Hang on to scared. Scared isn't Dalek." Jack said. We glanced at each other but continued to climb down.

* * *

A door rises and the bad-tempered pepperpots are repeating, "EXTERMINATE!" Over and over again.

"What's that?" Lia asked.

We backed out again.

"Jack, keep a look out with Lia. Don't open this door. Oswin!" I yelled, going back down the corridor we came, "Oswin, can you hear me?!"

"Hello, ginger." Oswin's voice echoed in the corridor, "I have visual on you."

"Why can't I see you?" I asked, "I would like to know if you have ginger hair or brown." I remarked.

"Limited power, bad hair, take your pick. Plus my hair is brown. There's a door to your left. Open it. I'm going to send you a map to that screen. I put your friends somewhere safe. I can get you to them." Oswin said.

"You found them?" I asked, "Are they okay?"

"Hush now, genius at work."

"Then you're in excellent company." I said, smirking, "How many Daleks directly ahead of me right now?" I asked.

"Ten, twenty. Hard to say. Some of them are catatonic but they do have firepower." Oswin said.

"How do I get past them?" I glanced to the door and saw no one there, "Jack! Lia!" I yelled, running into the room and skidding to a halt as I saw Lia calmly approaching the moving Daleks and Jack trying his best to stop her.

"Shush, Mum. It's okay, it's just people in here. It's just people." Lia said.

"Lia, it's the nanocloud, it's altering your perception. Look again. Look again. Those aren't people." I said clearly to her. I stared at her until her eyes widened and Lia stepped back, "Lia, come out. Take my hand. Run! Run!" I said, grabbing her hand and running, Jack not far behind us.

We ran back to the rope ladder, which is moving under the weight of descending zombies.

"They're coming down!" Lia yelled.

"Yes, they are." I stated.

"INTRUDER!" A Dalek said.

"Run." I said.

"INTRUDER!"

We hid in the cubby hole Oswin opened for us.

"INTRUDER!" The Dalek yells, then it runs out of power and we come out of the cubby hole again.

"It's damaged." Jack said.

"Okay, but what do we do?" Lia asked.

"Identify me. Access your files. Who am I? Come on. Who's your daddy?" Jack asked.

"YOU ARE THE IMMORTAL ONE." The Dalek said.

"Access your standing orders concerning The Predator and The Immortal One." Jack commanded.

"THE PREDATOR AND THE IMMORTAL ONE MUST BE DESTROYED."

"And how are you going to do that, Dalek? Without a gun you're a tricycle with a roof. How are you going to destroy me?" Jack asked.

"SELF-DESTRUCT INITIATED."

"What's it doing?" Lia asked, panicking.

"It's going to blow itself up, and I with it. Only weapon it's got left." Jack said.

"SELF-DESTRUCT CANNOT BE COUNTERMANDED." It's internal clock is down to 12. I had lifted its lid and scans inside.

"I'm not looking for a countermand, dear. I'm looking for reverse." I said.

I grabbed Lia's hand and with Jack, we ran, "FORWARD, FORWARD." The Dalek whizzes backwards into the chamber, bumps into a colleague and blows up.

* * *

I felt someone shake me awake, "Susan, come on, wake up!" Jack said, near my ear.

I groaned and sat up quickly, "Lia! What happened?" I asked, as soon as I spotted an unconscious Lia lying next to me.

"Explosion via self-destruct." Jack said, helping me up, "Come on, we have to find the others. Jack picked Amelia up and we started walking to the exit.

"Oswin? What happened?" I head The Doctor ask.

"Who killed all the Daleks?" Rory asked.

"Who do you think?" I asked as we came around the corner.

* * *

Jack laid Lia on the teleport pad, "Will sleeping help her? Will it slow down the process?" Amy asked, running her fingers through her goddaughter's hair.

"You'd better hope so because pretty soon she's going to try and kill you." Oswin remarked.

Lia groaned as she regained consciousness, "Lia?" I asked cautiously as The Doctor scanned her with her sonic screwdriver.

"Amelia, still with us?" The Doctor asked.

"Lia, it's Dad. Do you remember me?" Jack asked. Lia slapped Jack, "Yep, she remembers."

"Why would she hit you?" Rory asked.

"Because he forgot to mention that he's immortal!" Lia snapped.

"Do you know how you make someone into a Dalek? Subtract love, add anger. Doesn't she seem a bit too angry to you?" Oswin asked.

"What about you, though, Oswin. How come you're okay?" Jack asked, "Why hasn't the nanocloud converted you?"

"I mentioned the genius thing, yeah? Shielded in here." Oswin remarked.

"Clever of you. Now, this place. The Daleks said it was fully automated. Look at it. It's a wreck." The Doctor said.

"Well, I've had nearly a year to mess with them, and not a lot else to do." Oswin said.

"A junior entertainment manager hiding out in a wrecked ship, hacking the security systems of the most advanced warrior race the universe has ever seen. But you know what really gets me about you, Oswin? The soufflés. Where do you get milk for the soufflés? Seriously. Is no one else wondering about that?" The Doctor asked.

"No. Frankly, no. Twice." Rory said.

"I am." I said, sideways glancing at Rory.

"No one cares." Lia remarked.

"Not now Amelia Rose." I snapped. Lia quickly shut her mouth, stopping herself from making another retort.

"So, Doctor. I've been looking you up. You're all over the database. Why do the Daleks call you The Predator and him The Immortal One."

"I'm not the Predator, I'm just a man with a plan." The Doctor said.

"You've got a plan?" Oswin asked.

"That's all he is." Rory remarked.

"There's a nose joke going if someone wants to pick that one off." Amy said.

"In no particular order, we need to neutralize all the Daleks in this Asylum, rescue Oswin from the wreckage, escape from this planet and fix Amy and Rory's marriage." The Doctor said.

"Wait, they're divorced?" Jack asked, confused.

"Okay, I'm counting three lost causes. Anyone else?" Amy retorted.

"Oswin, there's a Dalek ship in orbit." The Doctor said.

"Yes. Got it on the sensors." Oswin said.

"The Asylum has a force field. The Daleks upstairs are waiting for me to turn it off. Soon as I do, they'll burn this whole world and us with it. So, Oswin, my question is this. How fast can you drop the force field?"

"Pretty fast. But why would I?"

"Because this is a teleport. Am I right, Oswin?" I asked.

"Yeah. Internal use only."

"I can boost the power. Once the force field is down, I can use it to beam us right off this planet." The Doctor said.

Rory looked at The Doctor, "You said when the force field is down, the Daleks will blow us up."

I nodded, "We'll have to be quick, yes." I said.

"Fine, we'll be quick. But where do we beam to?" Lia asked.

"The only place within range. The Dalek ship." I said.

Lia rolled her eyes, "They'll exterminate us on the spot."

"Ah, so this is the kind of escape plan where you survive about four seconds longer." Rory said.

"What's wrong with four seconds? You can do loads in four seconds. Oswin, how fast can you drop the force field?" The Doctor asked.

"I can do it from here, as soon as you come and get me." Oswin said.

"No, just drop the force field and come to us." Jack said.

"There's enough power in that teleport for one go. Why would you wait for me?" Oswin said.

"Why wouldn't I?" The Doctor asked.

"No idea. Never met you. Sending you a map so you can come get me."

"This place is crawling with Daleks." Lia said.

"Yeah. Kind of why I'm anxious to leave. Come up and see me sometime." Oswin commented.

"So, are we going to go get her?" Amy asked.

"I don't think that we have a choice. Okay, as soon as the force field is down the Daleks will attack. If it gets too explody-wody in here, you go without me, okay?" The Doctor asked.

"And leave you to die?" Rory asked.

"Oh, don't worry about me. You're the one beaming up to a Dalek ship to get exterminated."

"Fair point. Love this plan. What about Lia?" Jack asked.

"Keep her remembering, keep her focused. That'll hold back the conversion." The Doctor told us.

"What do I do?" Lia asked, her voice quivering.

"You heard what she said. They're subtracting love. Don't let them." The Doctor said, kissing Lia's forehead and then left to go get Oswin.

While Rory and Amy were talking softly in a corner, Jack and I stood together and faced Amelia, "Why didn't you tell me, and don't say that you were waiting until I was eighteen." Lia snapped.

I sighed, "Lia, it was for your safety. We couldn't let it slip that Jack is Immortal. If that happened, we would have to move, the danger would be so great."

"Why, though." Lia asked, "What aren't you telling me."

Jack put a hand on my back and started rubbing his hand in circles, to calm me down, "Amelia, we have, over the years, gained enemies. Enemies who would do anything to make sure we are killed. There is an psychopath out there, namely Madam Kovarian. She has tried multiple times to kill your Mum and The Doctor, even going as far as to create an army to stop them."

"An army?" Lia echoed.

I nodded, "She is a lunatic, who, under no circumstances, can be told of our whereabouts. She has made it her personal mission to try to kill me, and I won't put it past her to try to kill you as well."

Lia was silent, trying to digest this information, "So, you have your own version of Moriarty."

I blinked, "I guess I do."

Lia smiled, "Then that would make you Sherlock!"

Jack and I gave each other amused looks. Lia was absolutely enchanted with the whole Sherlock world, "Then who would I be?" Jack asked, flirtatiously.

"Eww!" Lia said, "Mum, Dad, could you PLEASE not flirt in front of me? It's disgusting."

I giggled and smirked at Jack, "Only if he stops first."

I saw Lia look away and down, then froze, "Mum, Dad, when did I get a wristband? I thought the zombie creatures had taken mine."

Jack and I looked at each other then down at Lia's wrist. There certainly was a wrist band. Amy and Rory had come over to us at this point. They had finished talking and were wearing silly grins and holding hands.

"Looks like you two got back together." Jack said, smirking.

Amy and Rory ignored him and Rory said, "The Doctor must have slipped it on you while you were sleeping."

"That Time Lord." Amy said, sighing, "What's the betting he doesn't even need it."

"Why didn't he just tell us?" Lia asked.

* * *

"Okay, everyone one the teleport." I said, as we heard explosions all around us.

"What about The Doctor?" Lia asked as I grabbed her and held her close, while Jack held me.

"How long can we wait?" Rory asked.

Amy smiled sadly, "The rest of our lives."

"Agreed." They kiss as explosions happened around us The Doctor runs in.

"Right, go! Let's go. We're good." The Doctor said, but Amy and Rory were still kissing, "Let's go." Amy and Rory still didn't move and Jack laughed, "Oh, for God's sake." The Doctor takes the control unit from Rory and activates it.

* * *

We all appeared in the Tardis. I brushed hair out of Lia's face, "You can open your eyes, sweetheart. We're safe."

Lia slowly opened her eyes and gasped, looking around in wonder. "Am I where I think I am?"

The Doctor smiled at Lia, "Welcome to the Tardis. If you wait a minute, I can give you a tour, I just have to deal with the Daleks."

Lia nodded, still dumbfounded, looking around the Tardis in awe.

The Doctor started speaking before even reaching the door, but I knew his voice would be broadcasted outside the Tardis and into the Dalek Parliament, "You know, you guys should really have seen this coming. The thing about me and teleports, I've got a really good aim. Pin-point accurate, in fact. Or, to put it another way-" The Doctor looks out of the Tardis door. "Suckers!"

"IDENTIFY YOURSELF! IDENTIFY! IDENTIFY!"

The Doctor looked around, puzzled, "It's me. You know me. The Doctor. The Oncoming Storm. The Predator."

"Titles are not meaningful in this context. Doctor who?" Darla asked.

"Doctor who?" The Dalek PM asked.

"DOCTOR WHO?"

The Doctor started smiling, "Oh, Oswin. Oh, you did it to them all. You beauty."

"DOCTOR WHO? DOCTOR WHO?"

"Fellas, you're never going to stop asking." The Doctor shuts the door and the Tardis dematerialises off the ship.

* * *

We dropped Amy and Rory back off at their home, before The Doctor took us back to Drax Three. The Tardis had materialized in front of our house and Jack, Amelia and I were standing, with our backs to our house, facing the Tardis where The Doctor stood.

"Thank you, Doctor." Lia said, "For saving me."

The Doctor smiled, "It's my job. Besides, your parents would kill me if I didn't."

"You're right, we would." Jack said in a jokingly and threatening tone.

"Well, I'd best be off." The Doctor said, "It was good to see you again, Susan, Jack, and you as well, Lia. I just wish it was under better circumstances."

"As do I." I said, "See you soon, Doctor."

The Doctor nodded and stepped inside his Tardis and the Tardis dematerialised.

* * *

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	3. Dinosaurs on a Spaceship- Part 1

**Dinosaurs on a Spaceship- Part 1**

It had been a month since the Dalek Asylum. Brandon, Lia's stable hand that had transported her to the Dalek fleet, was found dead by the creek on our property. Lia had cried her eyes out for a week and was slowly getting over her loss.

Lia had gone back to school the very next day of The Doctor taking us back home. Not a day had gone by while we had our adventure, though I had noticed a change in Lia and I'm certain her best friend, Arya Quiar had as well.

Lia was more reserved and had more concentration. Lia also focused more on the subject of space travel and other alien cultures.

Lia, Jack and I were eating breakfast at our kitchen table when we heard the sound of the Tardis materializing.

Jack groaned, "What does he want now? He just dropped us off a month ago."

The Doctor raced into the room and said, "I know you will probably say no, but, I'm forming a team to help stop an unknown spacecraft hurtling towards Earth before they shoot it down… It's not slowing down despite their hails. We have to automatically turn the ship around in," The Doctor looked at his watch, "Six hours and fifteen minutes."

Jack and I glanced at each other.

"Amelia, are you okay with this?" Jack asked Lia in a soft tone. Lia had gone still at the sight of The Doctor. Apparently, she wasn't over the Dalek incident… what fifteen year old would ever be okay with what happened?

Lia sighed, "Only if there won't be any of _them_ there." Lia said, looking down at her half eaten breakfast.

"Sweetie, I can guarantee you that we will not be meeting any of the pepper-pots on this adventure." I said, reaching across the table and placing my left hand on Amelia's right wrist.

Amelia lifted her eyes and stared at me when she felt the contact. Lia sighed, "Fine. As long as I am back in time for school. We have Griffin racing after school today."

* * *

Jack, Amelia and I entered the Tardis to see Queen Nefertiti of Egypt and John Riddell, a big game hunter on the African Plains walking around the Tardis console, still in awe of its sheer size.

Lia stared at Queen Nefertiti. Amelia leaned closer into me and whispered, "I- Is that QUEEN Nefertiti? As in Ancient Egypt on Earth Queen Nefertiti?" Lia was fascinated with Earth's ancient civilizations, well, any planet's ancient civilizations.

I smiled, "Yep." I said, popping the 'p'.

"Can you introduce me?" Lia asked, still whispering as the Tardis landed at Amy and Rory's house and Amy, Rory and Rory's father appeared in the Tardis along with a later.

I stifled my laugh and said, sure, "Hey Queen Nefertiti!" I called, once she turned her head to me, I waved my hand, signaling for her to come over, "Queen Nefertiti, It is an honor to meet you." I said, bowing my head and Lia doing the same, "I am Susan Jane Harkness, my husband, Jack Harkness is speaking to John Riddell over there and this is my daughter, Amelia. She admires your work greatly."

Nefertiti smiled, "Hello, Amelia."

Lia blushed, dipping her head in embarrassment, "Call me Lia. When you run your-" Lia went on to ask Nefertiti a question on how she ran her kingdom in Egypt, I moved away and hugged Amy and Rory, who hadn't yet realized that Rory's father was aboard the Tardis.

"Hey Amy." I said, hugging her tightly then I hugged Rory.

"Hello! You weren't busy, were you? Well, even if you were, it wasn't as interesting as this probably is. Didn't want you to miss it. Now, just a quick hop." The Doctor said, moving around the Tardis console, flipping some switches until we came to a stop in the spaceship.

"Hi Susan." Amy said, "How've you been?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "Eh, Figuring out what we did wrong when telling Amelia of our other life."

Amy winced, "How'd she take it?"

"Well, she's talking to us, so-"

"Everybody grab a torch." The Doctor said, interrupting me and I heard a shattering noise as Brian Williams dropped the lightbulb he was holding in shock.

"Do you think that The Doctor will notice your father's here, Rory?" I asked as we exited the Tardis.

Rory spluttered in shock and turned around, his cheeks reddening as he realized that his father was indeed here, "Oh my God." Rory said in a panic, "What do I do?"

The spaceship is dark and dusty with cobwebs all over the place, "Spiders." The Doctor said. "Don't normally get spiders in space."

Brian Williams is the last one out of the Tardis, staring around in complete shock, his complexion a bit paler than normal, "What the?" Brian gasped, his eyes wide.

"Don't move!" The Doctor commanded and yelled, making everyone freeze at the intensity of his voice. I glanced around at everyone. Jack was still with John and Lia and Nefertiti had stopped and turned around at the sound of The Doctor's voice, " Do you really think I'm that stupid I wouldn't notice? How did you get aboard, eh? Transmat? Who sent you?"

I covered my mouth to unsuccessfully stifle my giggling. I walked over to The Doctor and rested my hand on his shoulder, "Doctor, calm down. That's Rory's father." I said, then I switched my gaze to Brian, "Hello, Mr. Williams. I'm sorry we couldn't meet properly. I'm Susan Jane Harkness, at your service." Brian opened and closed his mouth but nothing came out.

"Well frankly, that's outrageous." The Doctor snapped.

"What?" Rory said, his voice a bit faint.

The Doctor turned and looked at Rory, "You think you can just bring your dad along without asking? I'm not a taxi service, you know."

"You materialised around us." Roy retorted.

The Doctor sighed, "Oh. Well, that's fine, then. My mistake. Hello, Brian. How are you? Nice to meet you. Welcome, welcome. This is the gang. I've got a gang. Yes. Come on then, everyone."

"Tell him something, quick." Amy whispered to Rory, completely panicking.

Rory turned to glare at his wife, "Yes, thank you!"

"I'm not entirely sure what's going on." Brian said faintly.

"You know when Amy and I first got married and we went travelling-" Rory started.

Brian slowly nodded his head, "To Thailand."

"More the entirety of space and time. In that police box." Rory continued.

"I'm a friend they meet while traveling." I told Brian.

"Why haven't I seen you around then?" Giving me an look as if I was under inspection.

I winced, "I kinda live off planet."

Before Brian could say anything, the spaceship shook, making us balance ourselves by grabbing onto anything that was close by us and grabbing on. After a few seconds of shaking, it stopped.

"All right, where are we? What is that noise and hello, ten months?" Amy asked the Doctor.

"Ten?" Lia asked, a bit shocked, still getting used to this way of travel, "It's only been a month for us."

"Well, I sense it's orbiting. More like pre-crashing. On a spaceship, don't know, and hello, Pond. Ten months. Time flies. Never really understood that phrase. This is Neffy, this is John Riddell. They're with me." The Doctor waved his hand in their general dirrection.

John walked up to Amy and flirtatiously said, "Charmed." while bowing his head.

Amy ignored him, which seemed to startle John, "With you? They're with you? Are they the new us? Is that why we haven't seen you?" Amy asked.

"No. They're just people. They're not Ponds. I thought we might need a new gang. Not really had a gang before. It's new." The Doctor told Amy. At the far end of this hold is a big bulkhead door. Red lights come on either side of it, "It's coming down." The Doctor said.

Riddell stiffened, moving a hand to hover over his handgun, "What is it?"

"No idea." It is a cargo lift, and it arrives with a thump. The doors open to reveal two large armoured creatures back light by a very bright light. They are Dinosaurs.

"Not possible." Lia said, eyes widening in shock as she recognized Earth's ancient creatures.

"Run!" Jack yelled, grabbing Lia by the hand and running in the other direction. I followed but then realized the Doctor wasn't with us so Amy and I ran back to him.

Amy grabs the Doctor's hand and yells, "Doctor!"

"I know!" The Doctor said excitedly, "Dinosaurs! On a spaceship!"

"In here!" Nefertiti calls and we hid in an alcove while the annoyed armoured beasts stop nearby.

Riddell gets out a knife, "I could take one of them. Short blow up into the throat."

The Doctor winced, "Or not. We've just found dinosaurs in space. We need to preserve them."

"Who's going to preserve us?" Riddell argued back.

"Shush." Amy hissed quietly.

The ankylosaurs move on.

We all breathed out a sigh of relief, "Okay, so, how and whose ship?" Rory asked.

A door slides open and we walked cautiously onto the spaceship's bridge. A display has us on it with the warning 'intruders detected.' on the screen.

"Well, there's so much to discover. Think how wise we'll be by the end of all this." The Doctor said absently.

"Sorry, sorry. Are you saying dinosaurs are flying a spaceship?" Brian asked.

The Doctor turned around from looking at the screen and stared at Brian, "Brian, please, that would be ridiculous. They're probably just passengers. Did I mention missiles?"

"Missiles?" Lia echoed, quickly grabbing onto the closest person's wrist, that wrist belonging to Queen Nefertiti, who placed a calming hand on Amelia's shoulder.

"Didn't want to worry you. Anyway, six hours is a lifetime. Not literally a lifetime. That's what we're trying to avoid. And we're all really clever. Ooo, let's see what we can find out. Come on." The Doctor removes a cobweb from a blank monitor.

Amy examines gouges in the walls, "How many dinosaurs do you think are on here?"

The Doctor sonics the monitor into life, "Oh, well done, whoever you are. Looking for engines. Thank you, computer. Look at that. Different sections have engines, but these look like the primary clusters. Where are we now, computer? We need to get down to these engines."

Suddenly I am teleported away and into the engine room, which is disguised as a beech. I looked around and saw that The Doctor, Brian and Rory were transported along with me. _Susan!_ Came Jack's yell through our telepathic bond.

I rubbed my temple in response. _Little too loud, Jack. I'm fine. The Doctor, Brian and Rory are with me in the engine room. We won't be there for long though. Tell Lia I'm fine._

 _Krift. Thank God._ Jack said… accustomed to speaking in the style found on Drax Three, including their swear words. After fifteen years of immersing yourself in their culture, it's kinda hard to go back to Earth's.

"Find out. What?" The Doctor said, continuing what he was saying before we transported.

"We're outside." Brian said, walking around, staring at everything in shock. This was going to be the day of shocks for him, "We're on a beach." Brain said in amazement.

"Teleport. Oh, I hate teleports. Must have activated on my voice." The Doctor said.

"Ah, yes, well, thank you, Arthur C Clarke. Teleport, obviously. I mean, we're on a spaceship with dinosaurs. Why wouldn't there be a teleport? In fact, why don't we just teleport now?" Brian said.

The Doctor glanced at Rory, "Is he all right?"

Rory shook his head, "No, he hates travelling. Makes him really anxious. He only goes to the paper shop and golf."

The Doctor stared at Rory, "What did you bring him for?"

"I didn't! Why can't you just phone ahead like any normal person?" Rory exploded in anger.

"Somebody tell me where we are, now." Brian raised his voice over Rory and The Doctor's.

The Doctor tastes the air, "Well, it's not Earth. Doesn't taste right. Too metallic."

Brian stared off into the distance, facing the 'ocean', "Is that a kestrel?"

The Doctor, Rory and I turned to look where Brian was staring off to, "I do hope so."

"The beach is humming." I commented, trying to get them back on track.

"Is it? Oh yes. Right, well, don't just stand there, you three. Dig. I'm going to look at rocks. Love a rock." The Doctor said.

"Dig with what?" Rory asked.

"Ah, well." Brian produces a trowel and starts digging in the sand.

"Did you just have that on you?" Rory asked, looking at his Dad in shock.

"Of course. What sort of man doesn't carry a trowel? Put it on your Christmas list." Brian said.

Rory sighed, "Dad, I'm thirty one. I don't have a Christmas list any more."

"I do!" The Doctor said, jumping up and raising his hand, like he was in class. I sighed.

Brian reaches metal, "There's a floor under this beach."

The Doctor has found another computer access point in the nearby cliff face, 'See? Metal floors, screens in rocks. It was just a matter of a short range teleport. We're still on the ship."

"No, we're outside on a beach." Brian said.

"It's part of the ship, Dad." Rory told his father.

"Don't be ridiculous." Brain said back to his son.

"Well, it is quite ridiculous. Also brilliant. That's why the system teleported us here. I wanted the engines. This is the engine room! Hydrogenerators! Ha!" The Doctor said.

"I have literally no idea what he's saying."

"A spaceship powered by waves." I commented.

"Fabulously impossible. Oh, think of the things we could learn from this ship if we manage to stop it being blown to pieces."

"Plus not dying." Rory put in.

"Bad news, can't shut the wave system down in time. Takes, takes way too long." I said, pointing and using my sonic pen on the computer.

"If these are the engines, there must be a control room." Rory said.

"Exactly. That's what we need to find. Now, what do we do about the things that aren't kestrals?" The Doctor asked.

Brian turned around and gasped, placing a hand over his heart, "Oh my lord. Are those pterodactyls?"

"Yes. On any other occasion, I'd be thrilled. Exposed on a beach, less thrilled. We should be going." I said, starting to move.

"Where?" Brian asked, starting to panic.

"Er, definitely away from them." The Doctor said.

Rory glared at The Doctor, "That's the plan?"

"That's the plan. Amendments welcome. Move away from the pterodactyls." The Doctor told us.

"I think they might be noticing." Brian said faintly.

"Amendment one, run!" The Doctor yelled and we all ran.

"Why don't we just teleport or something?" Rory called as we ran.

"No! Local teleport burnt out on arrival. There's something in the cliffs over there." I yelled back, pointing to the cliffs as the pterodactyls swooped down, gaining on us.

"Come on!" Rory yelled as Brian fell behind. I fell behind with him to keep Brian in the middle of the group.

"I'm trying!" Brian huffed in annoyance.

The pterodactyls start snapping at the us as they reach a cave entrance in the cliffs. I was the last one in, and fell to the ground as one of the pterodactyls swiped my left shoulder. I groaned and was helped up by Rory, who noticed my shoulder, "Are you okay?" He asked, glancing at it.

 _Susan! Are you okay?_ Jack telepathically called me, having been alerted that I was in pain through our telepathic bond.

 _A pterodactyl got my shoulder. It's only a scratch though. No need to worry._ I replied telepathically.

I shook out my shoulders, "I'll be fine."

 _Are you sure?_ Jack asked me.

Rory narrowed his eyes, "Are you sure?"

I rolled my eyes. _I'm not going to regenerate any time soon, Jack. I'm being careful, remember?_ Then I said to Rory, "I'm sure. When we get a rest, I'll let you take a look at it."

Rory nodded, not liking my answer, but understood that now was not the time to be tending a wound, "Right, what do we do now? There's no way back out there."

"Through the cave. Come on." The Doctor said and we started walking. While we walked, we could hear noises ahead, "That suggestion was a work in progress."

"We're trapped." Brian pointed it out.

The Doctor rolled his eyes and glared at Brian, "Yes, thanks for spelling it out."

"Doctor, don't yell at Brian." I chastised him, who pouted. Brian gave me a grateful nod.

"Doctor, whatever's down there is coming this way." Rory said as the noise was getting louder and louder.

"Spelling it out is hereditary. Wonderful." The Doctor said sarcastically.

"That sound's getting nearer." Brian warned us. Something big, heavy and slow is getting closer and closer.

The two robots come into view, "We're very cross with you." The first robot said as Brian and Rory stared at them in shock, "You're going straight on the naughty step."

"What's the escape plan?" Brian hissed.

"Why do we want to escape?" The Doctor asked Brian.

Brian stared at The Doctor, "They have us hostage."

"They're taking us somewhere. We might learn from it." Rory said.

The Doctor kisses Rory's cheek. I giggled, "Oh, you see? He's so clever. I've missed you, Rory."

Rory rubbed his cheek, "Don't do that."

"What if they kill us?" Brian asked.

"They wouldn't do that. You're not going to kill us, are you, Rusty?" The Doctor asked the first robot.

"Who are you calling Rusty?" The first robot asked.

"Have you seen yourselves lately?" The Doctor retorted.

The first robot pointed a metal finger at The Doctor, "You try being on this ship for two millennia. See how your paintwork does."

"Don't listen to him. He's just being mean because we captured him." The second robot said to the first.

"Oh, my goodness." Brian said, spotting a three horned herbivore.

"Whoa!" Rory said, stopping.

The Doctor practically radiated excitement, "Ooo!"

The herbivore approaches, "Herbivore. Don't panic. Triceratops. Ha! Beautiful." The Doctor said.

The second robot pointed a gun at it, "Shall I shoot it?"

The first robot whacked the second robot in the head, " We're not supposed to shoot the creatures, stupid."

The second robot seemed to glare at the first robot, "Stop calling me stupid." The second robot growled.

"Roar yourself. Hello, cutie. Good boy. Who's a lovely Tricy then? Yes, you are. Yes, you are." The Doctor said.

"What do I do? What do I do?" Brian said, panicking while standing still while the Triceratops sniffs Brian's delicate parts, "What're you doing? What're you doing?"

"You don't have any vegetable matter in your trousers, do you, Brian?" The Doctor asked.

"Only my balls." Brian replied offhandedly, making the Doctor flush and Rory to gag.

"I'm sorry?" The Doctor asked.

"Golf balls." Brian explained. "Grassy residue."

Rory stared at his father, "What are you carrying those around for?"

The Triceratops licks Brian's face, "Urgh." Brian moaned.

"Oh, bless." The Doctor said, smiling.

"Get it away from me." Brian pleaded.

The Doctor sighed, "Throw one."

"Really? Is this what you want? Is it?" Brian throws a golf ball, and the Triceratops goes after it.

"And breath out. Right, take us to your leader." The Doctor said to the robots.

Rory glances at The Doctor, "Really?"

The Doctor shrugged, "Too good to resist."

"True." I said while looking at the Doctor, "Though next time I get to say it."

* * *

Piano music by Franz Schubert is playing near by, "Love what you've done to the place down here." The Doctor says.

"Let him in. Open the gate." A male voice say. I vaguely remembered his name to be Solomon.

Only the Doctor is let through. I dug my hand into my pocket, closing it around my sonic pen when the Doctor shook his head, "It's fine. It's fine."

"He's not interested in you." The first robot said.

"Look, you need to learn some manners." Rory snapped.

"No, you need to learn some manners."

Rory eyed the robot frustrated, "No, you do."

"No, you do, Mister Manners." The second robot said.

Only The Doctor was let through, the door almost closing on my fingers as I jerked back, "Doctor-" I started.

The Doctor turned around to face me, "It's fine, Susan. Look after Rory and Brian." The Doctor said.

I nodded, "I will." Rory and I glanced at one another, then listened to The Doctor's conversation.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, I'm off to do jury duty, first time, so hopefully the process will be easy to understand.**

 **Feel Free to Review.**

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 _alwaystherereading:_ Thanks so much! Honestly, I never thought about doing that... Oh, that's Terra Firma. Yes, We'll hear more about them in this story. Thanks for being the first person to review!


	4. Dinosaurs on a Spaceship- Part 2

**Dinosaurs on a Spaceship- Part 2**

"Fantasia in F minor for four hands." The Doctor said, walking up to where our capturor was.

"You know it." A rough male voice said in surprise.

The Doctor scoffed, "Know it? Say hello to hands three and four. Schubert kept tickling me to try to put me off. Franz the hands. Oh, that takes me back. Well, this is cosy."

"It's fate you came." The man said.

"Is it?" The Doctor asked, "I'm the Doctor."

The man swallowed, "Yes, I know. I'm Solomon." Solomon said.

"What's that?" The Doctor asked. The Doctor was now not in sight of us, behind a curtain of sorts.

"System malfunction. Ignore it." Solomon said, but I could tell he was lying.

"What happened to you?"

"I was attacked. Three raptors. They cornered me. The robots rescued me but it was nearly too late."

The Doctor huffed, "Ah yes, the robots. They're unusual."

"I got them cheap from a concession on Alyria Seven. The robots did as best they could with my legs, but you can help me so much more."

"Oh. A doctor doctor. I see. Let's have a look."

"They chewed through part of the bone in my legs." Solomon said, and you could hear the disgust in his tone of voice. I glanced at Brian, who was staring around at everything in awe.

"Yes. Very nasty."

"But you can repair them."

"If you tell me how you came by so many dinosaurs." The Doctor tried to compromise.

"Injure the female." Solomon ordered.

Rory shot me a worried look and The Doctor asked, in shock, "What?"

A robot shoots me in my already injured shoulder and I cried out in pain, bringing my hands up to clutch my left shoulder. I leaned against the cool bars.

"Susan!" Rory yelped, coming over to my side quickly and placing a hand on my uninjured shoulder.

"I don't respond well to violent, Solomon." The Doctor spat.

 _Susan!_ Jack yelled telepathically.

 _I-I'm fine._ I gaped. _It's just a flesh wound._

I could practically feel Jack rolling his eyes. _Typical. But seriously, are you okay?_

 _I'm fine Jack._

"And I don't like questions, Doctor. You boarded without my permission. Now, fix me, or the next bolt will be fatal." Solomon said angrily.

 _Check in with me in five minutes._ Jack said. _We're doing everything we can to find you guys._

"I will take you apart cog by cog and melt you down when all this is over." Rory snapped at the robots.

"Oh, I'm so scared. Actually, I might be. A little bit of oil just came out." Robot one said.

"Now, stay still." Rory said, turning his attention back on me, "It's just a burn, it's nothing serious." I nodded, biting down on the inside of my cheek.

"What's that?" Brian asked, watching with worry, as Rory took out his med-pack.

Rory shrugged, "You carry a trowel, I carry a med-pack. It's all about the pockets in our family. This is an ice patch. It cools the skin."

"Never seen one of those." Brian commented.

Rory placed it on my left shoulder and I felt instantly cooler. I smiled in relief, "Thanks Rory."

"Just doing my job." Rory told me with a small smile, "I pick up cool stuff wherever we go. For some people it's cars and hardware, for me it is nursing supplies." Rory explained to his Dad, "Now, painkiller. This won't hurt."

"Ow!" I exclaimed, and sent an exasperated look at Rory.

"I lied. It won't hurt from now on, though. All right, you're done."

I pushed myself back upright from leaning on the bars, "Thanks Rory." I said.

"It's all right." Rory turned to Brian, "You get to see my awesome nursing skills in action for once."

Rory's phone rings.

"What's that?" Robot one asked.

"Your phone's ringing. In space." Brian said, staring at the phone that Rory had taken out of his pocket.

"You get used to it. I have to take this. The wife. Hello, missus." Rory said, turning his back on us so he could have some amount of privacy.

"We gave them Universal Roaming." I told Brian, "It will work anytime, anywhere."

"Can I have one?" Brian asked.

"Possibly." I responded.

"...Still on board. Met some pterodactyls and some rusty robots I'm going to melt down." Rory said into his phone to Amy. Rory took his phone away from his ear and looked at me, his eyes wide and he turned a bit pale, "This is a Silurian Ship."

I grimaced, remembering the last time we encountered the Silurian race, "We'd better tell The Doctor. I doubt that there are any left alive, the ship looks abandoned, apart from the robots and Solomon."

Rory nodded, "Amy, I'm going to try to get The Doctor's attention. Doctor!?" Rory called. The Doctor appeared from that tiny alcove where Solomon was, "It's Amy." Rory said, handing his cell to The Doctor.

"I need to take this." The Doctor said to Solomon, "Amy….Where are they now?... I'll see you soon." The Doctor returns the cell phone to Rory and says in a low voice, "Be ready."

I nodded as The Doctor went back to Solomon.

"The pain in my legs is gone. I can move them. Thank you, Doctor." Solomon said.

"What did you do to the Silurians?" The Doctor asked darkly.

"We ejected them. The robots woke them from cryosleep a handful at a time and jettisoned them from the airlocks. We must have left a trail of dust and bone."

"Because you wanted the dinosaurs."

"Their ship crossed my path. I sent out a distress signal, they let me board, and when I saw the cargo things became more complex."

"Piracy and then genocide." The Doctor spat.

"Very emotive words, Doctor."

"Oh, I'm a very emotive man."

"The lizards wouldn't negotiate. I made them a generous offer."

"The creatures on board this ship are not objects to be sold or traded."

"I feel like you're judging me."

"You said Roxborne Peninsula, so why are you heading to Earth? You're on the wrong course. Oh, you don't know how. Brilliant. You couldn't change the pre-programmed course without instructions. The ship defaulted, returned home. Oh dear. The Silurians outwitted you even after you'd massacred them, so now you're a prisoner on the ship you hijacked."

"Not now you're here. You going to help me go wherever I want to go, Doctor." Solomon said.

"Little bit of news, Solomon. You're being targeted by missiles. Get off this ship while you still can."

"You think I believe that? You just want them for yourself. You won't profit from me, Doctor."

"Don't ever judge me by your standards." The Doctor said angry. The gate opens to let the Doctor out. "Well, don't just stand there, Rory." The Doctor said, then he looked at the robots. "Hey, he wants to see you."

We walked away from Solomon's layer and were now in one of the passageways on the ship and the Triceratops from earlier is a little ways away.

"What are we doing?" Brian asked skeptically, looking between The Doctor and the dinosaur.

The Doctor smirked, "Just do exactly as I do." And he began to run, not away from, but towards the dinosaur.

"Doctor, no!" Rory yelled at The Doctor, exasperated.

"Geronimo!" The Doctor yelled, leaping onto the Triceratops back.

I climbed on first, followed by Rory and then Brian. _Jack, you'll never guess what we're about to do._ I said, teasingly.

 _No. Whatever it is, no._ Jack answered back.

"Go, Tricy. Run like the wind!" The Doctor cried. It doesn't move, even when laser bolts whiz past.

"After them!" Robot one yelled to robot two.

"Quick, how do you start a Triceratops?" The Doctor asked us.

 _Um, Jack._ I asked hesitantly, _How do you make a Triceratops run?_

"There they are!" Robot one yelled to Robot two.

"I know, I saw them before you!" Robot two yelled back.

 _Susan, don't you dare!_

"Tricy, fetch." Brian yelled, Brian bounces his other golf ball off its nose, and the creature lumbers away.

 _Too late!_ I yelled telepathically, _Oh, ow! I didn't realize it would be this bumpy!_

Jack mentally facepalmed.

"Go, Tricy." The Doctor commanded.

Robot one blinked, "They've stolen a dinosaur."

"I can see that." Robot two responded as they chased after us.

 _We're riding on a Triceratops while running away from robots, on a spaceship! I love this adventure!_ I called to Jack telepathically. Jack rolled his eyes.

"Come on, Tricy, faster, baby!" The Doctor yelled.

"They're turning off. We're losing them." Robot one yelled.

"Which way did they go?" Robot two yelled back.

"I thought you were looking."

"No. Now they've got away."

Robot one groaned, "We definitely used to be faster."

"I'm riding a dinosaur on a spaceship!" Brian yelled, happily.

"I know!" The Doctor yelled back.

"I only came round to fix your light." Brian called to Rory.

"Come on, Tricy. Where are the brakes?" The Doctor asked. The Triceratops skids to a halt and they fall off. It picks up the golf ball and returns it to its owner, then lumbers off for a rest in the corner, "Good. That worked. Okay. Er, where are we now? Ooo, incoming message from Earth. Hello, Earth, how's things?"

"Doctor, the ship's coming through the atmosphere. I have to start the missile programme." A women from Earth video called to The Doctor through the Silurian ship.

"No. No, no, no, don't do that. Everything's completely under control here. Turning round any moment. Need a bit of wriggle room on the timings."

"I can't do that."

"You can. Of course you can. Tiny bit more time, Indira, please. This ship contains the most precious cargo."

"My only responsibility is the Earth's safety. I'm launching the missiles. Goodbye, Doctor." Indira said, emotionless.

"No, Indira. Hey! Come back! Please!" The Doctor called to nothing, "That's very bad indeed. Completely unhelpful."

"Doesn't the ship have any defence systems installed?" Rory asked.

"Good thinking, Rory." The Doctor kisses Rory full on the mouth, "Computer, show us weapons and defence systems."

 _ **No Systems Available**_ the computer reads.

"Oh, well, that was a waste of time, wasn't it? Getting my hopes up like that."

"What ship doesn't have weapons?" Rory asked.

"Ah, they're ancient species, Rory. Still full of hope."

"What about the control deck? You said we should go to the control deck next." Brian said.

I shook my head, "It's too late. It won't make any difference."

"We could at least try." Rory said.

"It won't work, Rory. The missiles are locked on." I said.

Rory crossed his arms, "So what, we're just giving up?"

The Doctor sighed, "I don't know. I don't know."

Bright flash. The Robots and Solomon have teleported in. Solomon is leaning heavily on a pair of metal crutches, "You were telling the truth, Doctor. Earth has launched missiles. This vessel is too clumsy to outrun them, but I have my own ship."

"You won't get your precious cargo on board, though. Just be you and your metal tantrum machines." The Doctor said.

Robot one looked offended, "We do not have tantrums!" The robot yelled.

"Shut up." Solomon snapped, "You're right, Doctor. I can't keep the dinosaurs and live myself. But I had the IV system scan the entire ship, and it found something even more valuable. Utterly unique. I don't know where you found them, or how you got them here, but I want them."

"I don't know what you're talking about." The Doctor said.

"Earth Queen Nefertiti of Egypt and Amelia Rose Harkness. Two faces stamped across history. Give them to me, and I'll let the rest of you live." Solomon said.

"No!" I yelled at Solomon, my hands clenching into fists, "You will NOT take my daughter!"

"You think I won't punish those who get in my way, whatever they're worth?" The robots shoot the Triceratops. The Doctor strokes it as it dies, whispering to it.

After a while The Doctor stands up and applauds, "You must be very proud." The Doctor said, his voice emotionless.

"Bring them to me, or the robots will make their way through your corpses. Bring them now." Solomon demanded.

"No." I said, gritting the word out of my clenched jaw. Suddenly Amy, Riddell, Nefertiti, Jack and Lia are beamed in.

I whirled around to stare at my daugher in horror, "What are you doing?"

"I demanded to be brought here." Nefertiti said, stepping forward.

After a seconds hesitation, Amelia stepped forward as well, "As did I." Lia said, holding her chin a bit higher.

My eyes widened, realizing what they were about to do, "No, no, no, no, no way. Don't you dare, Amelia Rose Harkness."

"It isn't your choice, Susan, it's mine." Nefertiti said in a calm voice, "And whether you like it or not, it is your daughter's as well."

"Listen to me. If you go with him, I can't guarantee your safety." The Doctor said to Nefertiti and Amelia.

Nefertiti swallowed, "You saved my people. I am in your debt."

The Doctor shook his head, "No. No debts. You don't owe me anything."

Nefertiti stared down The Doctor, "Then I do it on my own."

"As do I." Lia said, confidently.

"No, Neffy, Neffy! Lia, don't you dare!" The Doctor yelled as Nefertiti and Lia made their way to Solomon.

"No! Take her and I shoot you." Riddell yelled, taking out his rifle.

"Put your weapon down. Let me make my choice." Nefertiti said, turning to face Riddell.

Solomon smirked, "Do it, boy."

Riddell lowers his rifle.

"Please, Amelia." Jack pleaded with our daughter.

Lia looked at us, pain in her eyes, "Sorry Mum, Dad. I have to. If I don't, he'll kill you."

Solomon smirked, "My bounty increases. And what an extraordinary bounty you are." Solomon said, rising his hand to touch Nefertiti's cheek.

Nefertiti smacked Solomon's hand away, "Never touch me and don't you _dare_ touch her."

Solomon laughed, "I like my possessions to have spirit. It means I can have fun breaking them. And I will break you in with immense pleasure. Thank you, Doctor. Computer, take us back to my ship." Solomon, Nefertiti, Amelia and the robots disappear in a flash.

"No!" I cried out.

"Hostile targeting in progress. Hostile targeting in progress. Hostile targeting in progress. Hostile targeting in progress." The Computer said.

Jack walked over to me with a pained expression, "Don't worry. We'll get her back." I nodded and Jack kissed me on the cheek.

The Doctor snapped his fingers, "Bingo."

"What is it? Doctor." Rory asked.

* * *

We teleported to the control deck, "Okay," I breathed, "Control deck."

"So, what's the plan?" Jack asked.

"Come on. The missiles are locked onto us. We can't out-run them. We have to save the dinosaurs and get Nefertiti back from Solomon. Isn't it obvious?" The Doctor asked.

Rory looked at The Doctor, puzzled and slightly annoyed, "It's sort of the opposite of obvious."

"Seventeen minutes before the missiles hit. We need to turn this ship around."

"You said it was too late. That there wasn't any time." Rory said.

"Ah, yes, but I didn't have this plan then, did I? Riddell, Jack? Keep an eye out for dinosaurs."

John Riddell smirked, "I was rather hoping you'd say that."

"No killing any. Rory, Brian, get rid of the cobwebs." The Doctor ordered.

* * *

"No, don't be like that. Really unhelpful." The Doctor said, smacking the computer.

"What's the matter?" Amy asked The Doctor.

"Parallel pilot compartments, both configured. Needs two operator of the same gene-chain. And that's why Solomon couldn't change the ship's course and neither can we."

Brian raises his hand.

"What?" The Doctor asked.

"We can. Me and Rory. We must be the same gene-thingy you said."

The Doctor grinned, "Brian Pond, you are delicious."

Brian's eyebrows shot up, "I'm not a Pond."

"Course you are. Sit down, both of you, licketty split. The ship does all the engineering. The controls are straightforward. Even a monkey use them. Oh look, they're going to. Guys, come on. Comedy gold. Where's a Silurian audience when you need one. Anyway, two eye line screens. Velocity and trajectories. Steer away from the Earth. Try not to bump into the moon otherwise the races who live there will be livid."

"What?" Brian asked.

"Primary controls in the arms of the chairs. Principle's the same as any vehicle. Eight minutes forty five seconds." The Doctor sonics the pilot chairs into life, "Get us as far away as you can. Right, phase two sorted. Now for phase one."

"Oh no, phase two comes after phase one." Amy said, groaning.

The Doctor shook his head, "Humans, you are so linear. Shine the torch in here."

"What are you doing?" Amy asked, shining her torch were the Doctor pointed.

"Mixing my messages. How's the job?" The Doctor asked.

"We're about to be hit by missiles and you're asking me that?" Amy asked.

"I work best when I'm multitasking. Keep talking. How's the job?"

Amy sighed, "I gave it up."

"You gave the last one up."

"Yeah, well, I can't settle. Every minute I'm listening out for that stupid Tardis sound."

"Right, so it's my fault now, is it?"

"I can't not wait for you, even now. And they're getting longer, you know, the gaps between your visits. I think you're weaning us off you."

"I'm not, I promise. Really promise. The others, yeah, but not you. Rory and you, you have lives, have each other. I thought that's what we agreed."

"I know. I just worry there'll come a time when you never turn up. That something will have happened to you and I'll still be waiting, never knowing."

"No, come on, Pond. You'll be there till the end of me." The Doctor said, kissing Amy's forehead.

"Or vice versa." Amy said quietly.

The Doctor shook his head, "Don't."

"Doctor? This is a three man job." Riddell said, popping back in.

Amy gets the other stun gun.

"What are you doing?" Riddell asked Amy.

Amy smirked, "I'm easily worth two men. You can help too, if you like."

The Doctor extracts a beeping gubbins from inside the machine.

"Doctor," I said quickly, "Take me-" The Doctor is teleported away. "With you. Come on!" I exclaimed. I turned to Amy. "You'd better go and help Jack. I'll stay and watch over Rory and Brian."

Amy nodded and Riddell and Amy ran out.

"I'm flying a spaceship. Rory!" Brian exclaimed. I laughed despite the situation.

"Hmm?" Rory asked, as if he didn't hear.

Brian looked at Rory, "We're flying a spaceship."

Rory looked back at his Dad, "I know."

"And you're doing amazing, Brian." I said.

"Here we go! That's it, that's it. That's it, that's it. Me, me, me. Yes, yes. It's better than golf!" Brian yelled excitedly and I laughed.

* * *

Jack and I were waiting outside of the Tardis as Nefertiti, Lia, and The Doctor walked up. I saw Nefertiti squeeze Lia's shoulder and whisper something in her ear. Lia nodded and Nefertiti walked past us and into the Tardis.

The Doctor and Lia stopped a few feet from us, "So," The Doctor started awkwardly. "I'll just be inside the Tardis." And he quickly went inside.

I grimaced, "Hey Lia."

"Mother." Lia said back, emotionless. Ouch. Now I know she is upset.

"Lia, please-" I started.

"No, you listen." Lia said, "Why didn't you let me make my own decision? Is it because of my age?"

"What?" I asked, "No!"

"Then why?"

I sighed, "I didn't want you to get hurt or worse, killed. Amelia, your father is human and I am a Time Lord. Adding onto that your father is immortal. We're not exactly sure if you will regenerate or just come back to life, and… we don't ever want to find out."

Lia winced when I mentioned Jack being immortal, "No wonder I've never been sick. Makes sense. That's besides the point. I'm a teenager, Mum. you have to let me make decisions for myself. I was protecting you by going with him!" Amelia yelled at us, tears in her eyes, "I won't see you die, or regenerate or whatever! I won't be able to live with myself if I let that happen...if one of you died because of me."

By now I was holding Jack's hand so tight that my knuckles were white. I let go of Jack and walked closer to Lia, but slowly, "Lia… I only wanted to protect you. I've gone through horrible... things during our travels with The Doctor. I just… didn't want any of them happening to you."

"Mum." Amelia said and threw herself at me, hugging me tightly and crying.

"Lia." I whispered, hugging her back, resting my chin on her left shoulder and closing my eyes.

* * *

 **Feel Free to Review!**

 _ **Thank you to the Favorite:** BlueFlame27_

 ** _Thank you to the_** _ **Followers:** Brackenfern, BlueFlame27 and Edward Cullen's Girl_

 _ **Reviews:**_

 _grapejuice101:_ Thanks! This chapter probably answered your question. :)

 _alwaystherereading:_ Thanks! Lia knows about her adventures with The Doctor but not Susan's origin.


	5. A Town Called Mercy- Part 1

**A Town Called Mercy- Part 1**

It had been about a year since Dinosaurs on a Spaceship. Amelia had forgiven me and in return, I had started telling her about my time in the fifty first century, when Jack had met me for the first time. Lia was now sixteen.

Jack had gone into town to sell some of our crop and to make business deals, leaving Amelia and I at our Farm, "Honey, the Carter's are coming over at one. Make sure to clean your room." I called up the stairs to Lia.

"They aren't going to be in my room, why do I have to clean it?" Lia yelled back.

I sighed, "You know very well that Arthur and Megan will be in your room eventually. Just clean-" I trailed off as I heard the Tardis sound, "Come on!" I groaned as Lia ran down stairs, cleaning her room forgotten.

"The Doctor's here?" Amelia asked as the Tardis sound grew louder.

"Jack's not going to like this." I said and called Jack on my cell phone that I still had from Earth.

"Susan, what's wrong?" Jack immediately answered.

"The Doctor's here." I said, "He probably wants us to go on a trip, I'll try to get back before the Carter's come at one."

"Alright, just be careful." Jack said, "I'm just about make an important business deal. I'll see you later. Love you."

"Love you too." I said as Lia made a disgusted look on her face. I hung up and put my cell phone in my pocket and stuck my tongue out at Amelia, who laughed and we both made our way outside to the Tardis.

* * *

"Where's Jack?" The Doctor asked once we were inside the Tardis.

"In town making a business deal." I replied, "He said we can come as long as we get back by twelve, the Carters are coming over at one."

"I'm taking Amy and Rory to see the Day of the Dead festival in Mexico, do you want to join us?"

Lia looked at me and I nodded, "Sure!" Lia said, excitedly, "I've always wanted to visit Earth."

* * *

The Tardis landed and Amy, Rory, Lia, The Doctor and I filed out of the Tardis into what I knew to be The Old West in America, and not Mexico. The Doctor parked the Tardis just outside of Mercy and the entrance to Main Street. In front of a wooden frame with a cattle skull on it, a Keep Out sign and the residents count recently changed from 80 to 81. Surrounding the town is a circle of lumps of wood.

"Mercy. Eighty one residents." The Doctor said, more to himself than us.

"Look at this. It's a load of stones and lumps of wood. What is it?" Lia asked, squatting down to inspect it.

"A load of stones and lumps of wood." The Doctor replied taking out and sonicing it.

Lia stood up, "Mum, I want a sonic."

"The sign does say Keep Out." Rory said.

"Lia, no, not until you are older." The Doctor responded for me, "I see Keep Out signs as suggestions more than actual orders, like Dry Clean only." The Doctor says to Rory. We step over the load of stones and lumps of wood that circle the town and head down the street, towards the Grand Central Bank. The residents watch silently. An electric street lamp outside the Post Office sparks.

"Well, that's not right." I remarked, staring up at the _electrical_ street lamp.

"It's a street lamp." Rory said, still not understanding.

I turned to Rory, "An electric street lamp about ten years too early."

Rory shook his head, "It's only a few years out."

"That's what you said when you left your phone charger in Henry the Eighth's en-suite." The Doctor fired back.

"Doctor, er-" Amy said and trailed off, watching the towns folk give us aggressive stares from inside the buildings.

"Anachronistic electricity, Keep Out signs, aggressive stares. Has someone been peeking at my Christmas list?" The Doctor asked.

"Doctor." Amy chastised. The Doctor starts chewing on a toothpick and walks on, ignoring Amy.

We walked until we saw the sign for a Saloon, "No." I said to The Doctor, "Please, don't do what I think you are about to do."

The Doctor stopped, turned around and looked at me, "We're in the old west, what do you think I'm going to do?" Completely ignoring Amy's and mine protests, The Doctor walks into the Saloon.

The piano playing and the conversations stop dead when walked in. I grimaced.

"Tea. But the strong stuff. Leave the bag in." The Doctor said after he had sat at the bar and leaned his elbow against the bar table.

"What're you doing here, son?" The bartender asked.

"Son? You can stay." The Doctor replied.

An African American in a natty black suit speaks. He is the Preacher, "Sir, might I inquire who you is?"

"Of course. I'm the Doctor. This is-" Everyone stands up once The Doctor said 'Doctor', "No need to stand. You see that? Manners. Oh, thank you." A man in a top hat starts measuring the Doctor. "But I don't need a new suit."

"I'm the undertaker, sir." The man in the top hat says and Lia gasped.

A younger man in a brown suit and bowler hat steps forward. I'm guessing at the character name. It might be Dockery instead, "I got a question. Is you an alien?"

The Doctor stuttered, "Well, er, bit personal. It's all relative, isn't it? I mean, I think you're the aliens, but in this context, yes. Yes, I suppose I am."

After that confession, The Doctor is hoisted up and carried outside of the Saloon, Amy, Rory, Lia and I running after the crowd, "Guys!" The Doctor yelled.

Two men go for Amy and Rory, grabbing them and another goes for Lia, "Lia! No!" I yelled, rushing forward, but two men have to hold me back from rushing at the young man holding Lia. The man looked to be in his late teens, early twenties.

"Doctor! Put him down!" Amy yelled.

"Don't think we won't kill you." The bartender said, pointing a gun at Amy.

"Leave him alone!" Rory shouted, angrily.

"Rory, everything is completely under control. Guys, guys, guys." The Doctor said as we made our way to the edge of town and the crowd throws The Doctor out of town, literally, "Ow." When he turns around, they all point their revolvers at him. The Gunslinger suddenly appears in the distance.

"He's coming. Oh God, he's coming." The Preacher says, a pale tint to the color of his face.

"Preacher, say something." A man says, while pointing a pistol at The Doctor.

The Preacher starts a prayer, "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name." The Doctor turns around to see the Cyborg approaching by dimension jumps. The Doctor looks shocked, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done."

A mustachioed man fires a shot in the air, "You, bow tie. Get back across that line." The man says, as the Doctor had backed up, back in the town boundaries. He pulls back his coat to reveal a six pointed metal star with the word Marshal on it, "Now."

The Doctor swallows steps slowly over the rocks and wood, and the Cyborg stops then vanishes.

"Isaac, he said he was a doctor. An alien doctor." The man with the pistol said.

"Is that a reason to hand him to his death?" Isaac asked.

"Isaac, it could be him."

"You know it ain't." Isaac walks back down the street, nodding to Amy, Lia and I, "Ma'am's."

"Just letting him go like that? Be seeing you, boy." The man with a pistol said. The young man lets go of Lia and the two men holding me do the same and everyone walks home, throwing glances back at us.

* * *

A little while later, we are in the Marshal's Office, "What was that outside?" Lia asked the Isaac. The Doctor was peeking through the blinds, looking outside as the town's residents went about their business. Amy and Rory were standing near each other while Lia had her back against the railing separating the office from the square corner jail cell. I stood off to the side, next to the door handle, leaning up against the wall, my arms crossed.

"The Gunslinger. Showed up three weeks back. We've been prisoners ever since. See that border line stretching round the town? Woke up one morning, there it was. Nothing gets past it, in or out. No supply wagons, no reinforcements. Pretty soon the whole town's going to starve to death." Isaac responded to Lia.

"But he let us in." Rory said.

Isaac sighed and sat down, running his right hand through his hair, "You ain't carrying any food. Just three more mouths to feed. We'll all die even sooner now."

"What happens if someone crosses the line?" The Doctor asked. Isaac throws the Doctor a Stetson with a neat hole in it, "Ah, well, he wasn't a very good shot, then."

"He was aiming for the hat." Isaac remarked.

"He shoots people's hats?" The Doctor asked, confused.

Lia sighed, "It was a warning shot." Everyone looked at her, "What? Besides riding, I like to shoot on my free time."

"Ah, no, yes. I see. Hmm." The Doctor said, staring at the hat with the hole.

"What does he want? Has he issued some kind of demand?" I asked.

"Says he wants us to give him the alien doctor." Isaac said.

"But that's you." Amy said, looking at The Doctor, "Why would he want to kill you? Unless he's met you."

"And how could he know that we'd be here?" Rory asked. He lowered his voice. "We didn't even know we'd be here."

Amy sighed, "We were aiming for Mexico. The Doctor was taking us to see the Day of the Dead Festival."

"Mexico's two hundred miles due south." Isaac said.

"Well, that's what happens when people get toast crumbs on the console. Anyway, I think it's about time I met him, don't you?"

"Who?" Isaac asked.

"The chap outside said I could be the alien doctor, but you said I wasn't, so you already know who it is. Two alien doctors. We're like buses. Resident eighty one, I presume, so beloved by the townsfolk he warranted an alteration to the sign. Probably because he rigged up these electrics, and I'm guessing he's in here, because if half the town suddenly wanted to throw me to my death, this is where I'd want to be."

"I don't know what you-"

The man in the cell throws back his blanket. He has a curved mark down the left side of his face, "Isaac, I think the time for subterfuge has passed. Good afternoon. My name is Kahler-Jex. I'm the doctor." Jex said.

"The Kahler. I love the Kahler. They're one of the most ingenious races in the galaxy. Seriously, they could build a spaceship out of Tupperware and moss." The Doctor said.

"All right. How did you get here?" I asked, turning my head to look at Jex, not moving from my original spot. I knew what and who Jex was and I did not want to go near him.

"My craft crashed about a mile or so out of town. I would have died if Isaac and the others hadn't pulled me from the wreckage." Jex said.

"And you stayed, as their doctor."

"On my world I was a surgeon, so it seemed logical. And it gave me an opportunity to repay my debt to them."

"Listen to him. Talking like it was nothing. Tell them about the cholera." Isaac said, standing up and moving around his desk to stand next to The Doctor.

"Now, Isaac, I'm sure our guests are-"

Isaac cut him off, "Two years after he arrived, there was an outbreak of cholera. Thanks to the doc here, not a single person died."

"A minor infection we'd found a treatment for centuries ago." Jex said.

"No, no, what, what do you call them?" Isaac asked, snapping his fingers, trying to remember, "The electrics?"

"Using my ship as a generator, I was able to rig up some rudimentary heating and lighting for the town."

"So why does the Gunslinger want you?" Lia asked.

Isaac shook his head, "It don't matter."

"I'm just saying, if we knew that-" The Doctor started until Isaac cut him off.

"America's the land of second chances. We called this town Mercy for a reason. Others, some round here, don't feel that way."

"Now, Isaac, we've discussed this." Jex said, looking pointedly at Isaac.

"People whose lives you've saved are suddenly saying we should hand you over."

"They're scared, that's all. You can hardly blame them."

"Them being scared scares me. War only ended five years back. That old violence is still under the surface. We give up Doc Jex, then we hand the keys of the town over to chaos."

"Did you try to repair your craft? Surely someone with your skills-" The Doctor tried again.

Jex shook his head, "It really was very badly damaged."

"We evacuate the town. Our ship's just over the hills, room for everyone. I'll pop out, bring it back here, Robert's your uncle."

"Really? Simple as that. No crazy schemes, no negotiations." Amy asked, staring at the Doctor in a bit of shock with how simple the plan sounded.

The Doctor waved his hand, "I've matured. I'm twelve hundred years old now. Plus I don't want to miss The Archers."

"Oh, so you're not even a tiny bit curious?" Amy asked.

"Why would I be curious? It's a mysterious space cowboy assassin. Curious? Of course I'm not curious."

"Son? You've still got to get past the Gunslinger. How you going to do that?"

The Doctor puts on the Stetson. The Doctor smirked, "With a little sleight of hand."

* * *

Amy stayed in the Saloon while Isaac and Rory ran out in the desert, with Isaac dressed in Jex's cloths. Lia and I followed The Doctor to where the Preacher and his horse were, "Doctor?" Lia asked, hesitantly.

The Doctor stopped and looked at Lia, "Yes."

Lia glanced at me then looked back at The Doctor, "Can- may I come with you?"

The Doctor looked at me. I swallowed, "As long as you do what The Doctor says and under no circumstances go inside Jex's craft." The Doctor glanced at me in confusion.

"I thought Jex crash landed. Wouldn't there be nothing left of the craft?" Amelia asked me.

"If you happen to see that some still remain, do not go in. Those are my terms. You can go, but don't go inside." I said, thinking of what The Doctor would be seeing with those video's. I did not want Lia to see that.

Lia thought about it, "Deal."

I smiled and hugged her as The Doctor went to ask the Preacher if he could borrow the horse, "Be careful."

"I will."

"He's called Joshua. It's from the Bible. It means the Deliverer." The Preacher told The Doctor as The Doctor hopped onto the horse, followed by Lia. Lia put her arms around The Doctor's waist, holding on tightly.

"No, he isn't. I speak horse. He's called Susan, and he wants you to respect his life choices." The Doctor said and smacked the reigns, galloping out of town.

"He's strange, tha' one." The Preacher stated.

"Yes, yes he is." I agreed and made my way back to the Marshal's office.

* * *

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	6. A Town Called Mercy- Part 2

**A Town Called Mercy- Part 2**

Amy was leaning against the Marshal's desk while Jex was pacing in the middle of the room. I was half sitting, half standing on the railing dividing the jail corner from the rest of the office, "When this is all done, do you want us to take you home?" Amy asked Jex.

Jex looked at Amy, "Thank you, but I've already given everything I have to the Kahler. My skills, energy, all that was good in me. Here, I could start afresh. I could remember myself and help people. That's all I ever wanted to do, end suffering."

"Here." Amy says and she puts Isaac's coat over Jex's shoulders.

Jex stars at her, "You're a mother, aren't you."

Amy looked at Jex, puzzled, "How did you know?"

"There's kindness in your eyes. And sadness, but a ferocity too."

"Life's not exactly straightforward." Amy said.

"It seldom is."

"And what about you? Are you a father?"

Jex hesitated then said, "Yes. In a way, I suppose I am."

Suddenly an very loud alarm went off. Jex stands up, in shock and panic, "That's the alarm on my ship."

"Maybe the Doctor wants to get it working again?" Amy asked, trying to think of what to say.

"But that wasn't the plan. He's not following the plan." Jex mumbled.

Amy sighed and rolled her eyes, "Welcome to our world."

"With us, nothing ever goes according to plan." I remarked.

"I'm going to see if Rory and Isaac are back." Amy says, standing up and going out onto the porch part of the Marshal's office.

As soon as Amy was gone, and the door closed, I turned to Jex and said, "I know what you did. I know who you are and I know why that gunslinger wants you. You experimented on him. You experimented on hundreds of innocents." I spat.

Jex quickly takes out his gun and points it at me, "Don't move or I shoot." Jex growled. And then, in a surprise move, Jex quickly closed the gap between us and knocked me hard on the head with the but of the gun.

I collapsed, cursing myself for letting myself become out of practice. I drifted into unconsciousness as I heard the door open and Amy begin to say, "What-" And everything went dark.

* * *

I awoke to a pounding headache and someone shaking me, "Mum?" Came Lia's voice. "Mum? Wake up, please!"

I groaned and blinked open my eyelids, which felt like lead, "Lia?" I murmured as I put my hand to my throbbing head.

Amelia sighed. "Thank god!" Lia turned around to the others who were having an argument, "Rory, Mum's awake."

Rory left the conversation to kneel down besides Lia and checked me over, "Nothing badly hurt. You'll just have a bruise for one or two days. Make sure to put some ice on it once you get home."

I smiled softly at Rory, "Thanks Rory." I said, standing up, with the help of Lia, "Oh, I am out of practice." I turned to Lia, "Once we get home, we are starting self defence classes again."

Lia groaned and looked at Rroy, "The classes consist mostly of either Mum or Dad slaming me on the mat repeatedly."

"No. No, but these people are. Out! Out! Out!" The Doctor was saying, pointing a gun at Jex.

I looked at Lia, "What did I miss?" I asked as we followed everyone outside. Lia sighed and shook her head.

* * *

"No!" Jex cries as The Doctor pushes Jex along the street.

"Go on." The Doctor says, waving his gun in the direction outside the boundaries. The townsfolk follow Isaac to see The Doctor push Jex over the boundary, "Get over, and don't come back. The Doctor takes the safety off, the click sounding rather loud with the silence of the large crowd.

Jex stared at The Doctor, "You wouldn't."

"I genuinely don't know."

"Doctor. Doctor." Isaac pleaded.

Amy gets another gun and fires in the air, "Let him come back, Doctor." Amy says.

"Or what? You won't shoot me, Amy." The Doctor asked over his shoulder.

"How do you know?" Amy asked, waving her hand with the gun around, making a lot of the people in the crowd jumpy, "Maybe I've changed. I mean, you've clearly been taking stupid lessons since I saw you last." Her gun fires again and Amy jumps in surprise, "I didn't mean to do that."

Isaac fires to get everyone's attention, "Everyone who isn't an American, drop your gun." A man next to Amy grabs the gun out of her hand and Amy huffed.

"We can end this right now. We could save everyone right now."

Amy stared at The Doctor, "This is not how we roll, and you know it. What happened to you, Doctor? When did killing someone become an option?"

"Jex has to answer for his crimes." The Doctor said, still persistent on his argument.

"And what then? Are you going to hunt down everyone who's made a gun or a bullet or a bomb?" Amy asked.

"But they keep coming back, don't you see? Every time I negotiate, I try to understand. Well, not today. No. Today, I honour the victims first. His, the Master's, the Dalek's, all the people who died because of my mercy!" The Doctor yelled.

"You see, this is what happens when you travel alone for too long. Well, listen to me, Doctor. We can't be like him. We have to be better than him."

The Doctor sighed, "Amelia Pond. Fine, fine. We think of something else. But frankly, I'm betting on the Gunslinger." The Doctor gives his gun back and holds out his hand, "Jex, move over the line. Now." The Doctor commands sharply because the Gunslinger is right behind him. Jex turns around.

"Make peace with your gods." The Gunslinger says.

"Kahler-Tek, isn't it? I remember all your names, even now. I'll never hurt anyone again. I'm even helping people here." Jex said.

"Last chance. Make peace with your gods." I started to run toward Isaac.

"No!" Isaac yells and pushes Jex out of the way and takes the Gunslinger's shot instead. I stopped short from running, having failed to pull Isaac out of the way.

The Doctor kneels next to Isaac, "Isaac. Isaac. It's okay, it's okay. We can get you to Jex's surgery. He can save you."

"Listen to me. You've got to stay. You've got to look after everyone." Isaac says, coughing.

"It won't come to that, Isaac."

"Protect Jex. Protect my town. You're both good men. You just forget it sometimes." Isaac dies, handing on his Marshal's badge. The Doctor stands up and pins it on his jacket.

"Take Jex to his cell. If anything happens to him, you'll have me to answer to." The Doctor says and four men escort Jex away. The Doctor speaks to the Gunslinger, "This has gone on long enough."

"You are right. You've got until noon tomorrow. Give him to me or I'll kill you all." The Gunslinger vanishes.

"Oh, my god. You're the Marshal." Amy says, in shock.

The Doctor turns around to look at Amy, "Yeah." Then in a surprise move, The Doctor turns to Lia, "Hey Lia, you're the Deputy."

Lia looked at The Doctor as he walked off to the Marshal's office, her mouth hanging open in shock.

* * *

The Gunslinger had allowed the undertaker to take Isaac's body to be prepared for burial. It was now night time. We had sat inside the Marshal's office for the rest of the day, coming up with a plan for tomorrow, while taking turns watching Jex.

Someone hammers on the door and The Doctor opens it to reveal the Preacher, "Come in."

The Preacher, Abraham I learned his name when the Doctor left on Susan, takes one step in then stops, "Marshal. Ma'am, Ma'am, Lady, Fella. You need to come outside."

"Why, what's wrong?" The Doctor asked.

"Just come outside. And you should put that on." Abraham nodded his head to Isaac's gun belt.

Lia gulped.

* * *

We all stepped outside the Marshal's office onto the porch. The townsfolk have gathered.

"What's going on?" The Doctor asked the crowd.

"He in there? Leave the keys and take a walk. By the time you get back, this'll all be done." It was the same young adult who had pointed a gun at The Doctor earlier.

"I promised Isaac I'd protect him." The Doctor told him.

"Protecting him got Isaac dead. Tomorrow, it's going to be us all, dead."

"We thought Isaac was right to fight, but it's different now. We've got to say, all right we lost, and give that thing what it wants. "

"What it wants is to kill our friend." The bartender said.

"We don't got any ill feeling towards the Doc. We just thinking about our families. Hand him over and we all safe again."

"You know I can't do that."

"We got us a problem."

"Please don't do this." The Doctor pleaded.

"Why, reckon you're quicker than me?"

"Oh, certainly not, but this? Lynch mobs? A town turning against itself? This is everything Isaac didn't want." Walter draws his gun and cocks it. "How old are you?"

"Nearly nineteen."

The Doctor is slowly walking forward to him, having left the porch, "That's eighteen, then. Too young to have fought in the war, so I'm guessing you've never shot anyone before, have you?"

The boy shrugged, "First time for everything."

"But that's how all this started. Jex turned someone into a weapon. Now that same story's going to make you a killer, too. Don't you see? Violence doesn't end violence, it extends it, and I don't think you want to do this. I don't think you want to become that man."

"There's kids here."

"I know, who I can save if you'll let me."

"He really worth the risk?"

"Won't know. But you are. Walter lowers his gun and walks away. The crowd disperses. The Doctor sighs. "Frightened people. Give me a Dalek any day."

I snorted and we all made our way back into the Marshal's office. The Doctor removes the gun belt, "Fresh coffee, Marshal. For what it's worth, I know you're going to save us." Abraham says, beginning to take his measurements. "Isaac made you Marshal for a reason, and if you're good enough for him, you're good enough for me. Reckon you should know that." Abraham.

"Thank you." The Doctor says. Abraham continues to take his measurements. "Oi. Get out of it." Abraham leaves.

Jex stands up from laying on his cot, "Let me guess. The good folk of Mercy wanted me to take a little stroll into the desert. You could turn a blind eye. No one would blame you. You'd be a hero."

"But I can't, can I. Because then Isaac's death would mean nothing. Just another casualty in your endless bloody war. Do you want me to hand you over? Is that what you want? Do you even know?"

"You think I'm unaffected by what I did? That I don't hear them screaming every time I close my eyes? It would be so much simpler if I was just one thing, wouldn't it? The mad scientist who made that killing machine, or the physician who's dedicated his life to serving this town. The fact that I'm both bewilders you."

"Oh, I know exactly what you are, and I see this reformation for what it really is. You committed an atrocity and chose this as your punishment. Don't get me wrong, good choice. Civilised hours, lots of adulation, nice weather, but, but justice doesn't work like that. You don't get to decide when and how your debt is paid."

"In my culture, we believe that when you die your spirit has to climb a mountain carrying the souls of everyone you wronged in your lifetime. Imagine the weight I will have to lift. The monsters I created, the people they killed. Isaac, he was my friend. Now his soul will be in my arms, too. Can you see now why I fear death? You want to hand me over. There's no shame in that. But you won't. We all carry our prisons with us. Mine is my past. Yours is your morality."

"We all carry our prisons with us. Ha!"

* * *

We spent most of the night preparing and it was getting closer and closer to high noon. I agreed to let Lia be one of the fake Jex's, but only if she was very careful. The townsfolk have gathered together to pray.

Amy agreed to stay inside the Marshal's office while Rory, Lia, Walter, the kid who challenged the Doctor to a gunfight, and I were dressed like Jex and had his tattoo design drawn on our faces. Lia and I had our hair wrapped up and clipped underneath a hat.

Suddenly we hear several windows breaking, "It's time." I whispered to Lia and grabbed her hand. I nodded at Rory and he nodded as well and we all sprinted from our hiding places, along with several other men.

Lia and I duck behind a back stairway into a house when we heard the screams of the townsfolk from the church, "Oh god." Lia whisperers, "The people."

"I really wish I brought my gun." I groaned.

We heard The Gunslinger talking to The Doctor nearby, " Right." The Doctor said.

"Where is he?" The Gunslinger demanded. Lia and I looked around the corner of the house to see The Doctor facing The Gunslinger.

"He's gone."

"Where? Answer me." The Gunslinger said, pointing his gun arm at The Doctor.

"Away from here. Look up. Any second now you'll see the vapour trail of his ship. This is their home, not the backdrop for your revenge. Lookup, go after him, take this battle away from-"

"Kahler-Tek." Came Jex's voice over some sort of loud speaker.

"Jex. are you?" The Gunslinger yelled.

"I'm in my ship." Jex said.

"What are you doing? Just go!" The Doctor yelled.

"Where are you from? Where on Kahler?"

"Now?" The Doctor asked, exasperated. "You're asking him this now?"

"Gabriah." The Gunslinger responded.

"I know it. It's beautiful there. When this is over, will you go back?"

"How can I? I am a monster now."

"So am I." Jex whispered.

"Just go! Finish this!" The Doctor yelled.

"I'll find you." The Gunslinger yelled to Jex, "If I have to tear this universe apart, I will find you."

"I don't doubt that. You'll chase me to another planet and another race will be caught in the crossfire."

"Face me!" The Gunslinger screamed.

"Countdown to self-destruct resumed." A computer voice cut through, "Face me!"

"No. You've killed enough. I'm ending the war for you, too."

The Computer announced again, "Count down to self-destruct resumed."

"What's going on?" The Doctor asked as Lia asked me the same question.

"Ten."

"The countdown." The Doctor said, slowly releasing, "What's going on? Jex!"

"Thank you, Doctor. I have to face the souls of those I've wronged." Jex said.

"Five."

Jex sighed, "Perhaps they will be kind."

"Three, two, one, zero."

An explosion can be heard in the distance. Black smoke rises above the rooftops. The Gunslinger bows his head, "He behaved with honor at the end. Maybe more than me."

The Doctor stepped forward, "We could take you back to your world. You could help with the reconstruction."

"I will walk into the desert and self-destruct. I'm a creature of war. I have no role to play during peace." The Gunslinger said.

The Doctor tilts his head a tiny bit, "Except maybe to protect it."

* * *

The Doctor had gone back and gotten the Tardis, to park it in the middle of Main Street with people walking by, not even caring that it was there. Amy, Rory, Lia and I were standing outside the Tardis when The Doctor came running out of the Marshal's office.

"Okay, so, our next trip. Oh! You know all the monkeys and dogs they sent into space in the fifties and sixties? You will never guess what really happened to them." The Doctor said.

"Could we leave it a while? Our friends are going to start noticing that we're aging faster than them." Amy said, laughing.

"Another time? No worry."

"And we have to get back to The Farm by one. The Carters are coming over." I told the Doctor.

"Alright." The Doctor said. I smiled at the Doctor and Lia and I followed Amy and Rory inside the Tardis.

* * *

 **Feel Free to Review!**

 _ **Reviewer:**_

 _alwaystherereading:_ Thanks for the review!


	7. The Power of Six- Part 1

**The Power of Six- Part 1**

True to my word, I started Amelia practicing self defence on harder levels than I had her on before we went to Mercy. Jack was angry, at first, for me getting knocked out, but once I finished telling him about our adventure, he was less worried. I also started teaching Lia to use her telepathic communication. I knew it would be useful for her if we ever got separated on one of The Doctor's adventures.

We had just finished Amelia's sweet sixteen party, per Earth tradition. Amelia's friends were more than interested to experience an Earth custom first hand. The Doctor had not shown up. Lia was a disappointed, but I told her that there had to be a reason why The Doctor would miss her birthday. We found out that reason the next day.

* * *

I was out picking lettuce from my small garden by the back of our house when I heard the Tardis. Jack came running from the barn and I heard Lia running down the stairs inside our house. "Where is he? I'm going to yell at him." Lia said, having run from her room to the garden.

The Tardis materialized next to the back porch and The Doctor practically ran out. "Earth… tiny black cubes... invasion." The Doctor panted.

"What's happening?" Jack asked, pulling off his work gloves and leaving them on the porch railing.

The Doctor breathed out. "Tiny black boxes appeared all over Earth. I think it's an invasion, but it's been four days and nothing has happened. UNIT has currently taken over the investigation. Now that people know about Aliens, everyone is watching how they handle threats. Torchwood is on standby alert and Terra Firma is contacting The Shadow Proclamation. Do you, by any chance, Susan, remember this?"

I swallowed, remembering everything perfectly clear. "Take the black boxes into a massive collection, away from the civilian population. Make sure that none are missed. It is very important that you do this. It might take a while for them to activate, but once they do, if they are left in the hands of civilians, it will be disastrous. If we don't take them to a separate location, UNIT, Torchwood and Terra Firma will be looked at as fools."

The Doctor breathed in sharply, then breathed out. "Okay. You should come with me. Kate, Torchwood and Terra Firma misses you."

I glanced at Jack. "How long have we been gone?"

"A year, at the most."

I breathed out. "How am I supposed to explain how Amelia is sixteen and not one?"

"The same explanation I always use… time travel." The Doctor said.

I sighed. _Jack, do you want to check how Torchwood is going? I know I should check to see how Terra Firma is doing._

 _I wouldn't mind startling our team with Lia. It'll be fun._

I laughed and kissed Jack, then turned back to The Doctor. "Sure."

* * *

"Hey Doctor, Why is Brian in your Tardis watching a black cube?" I asked.

As I said that, Brian turned around. "Susan! Hey! The Doctor asked me to watch it constantly, so that's what I'm doing." He said proudly.

"Um, how long have you been watching the cube?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"Four days." Brian responded.

I raised an eyebrow. "Four days? Have you been doing anything else?"

"Nope!" Brian said proudly, still staring at the cube.

"...Why?"

"Because The Doctor told me to." Brian replied.

I turned and stared at The Doctor, who winced. "You told Brian to watch the cube then forgot about him for four days?!"

"Oops?" The Doctor said, but it sounded like a question.

I rolled my eyes. "It's okay, Brian. You don't have to watch it anymore. All the cubes will be transported to UNIT and put in on place."

Brian actually looked sad. "What if I want to?"

I blinked. "You want to sit in a chair all day and stare at a cube?"

"Well when you put it like that, no. But perhaps I could be one of the people in charge of watching the cubes at UNIT, or help them."

I was stunned at Brian's request. "Uh, sure. I'll put in a good word for you with Kate."

"You mean that women who stormed into my son's house three days ago? That science woman with short blond hair?"

I smiled. "Yes. Katherin Ledgbride-Stewart. Or Kate Stewart." I turned to Jack. "So, do you want to see Torchwood first or UNIT?"

Jack smirked. "I'm looking forward to startling our team with Amelia." Jack said, glancing at Lia.

Lia smiled and said, "What do I do?"

* * *

 **3rd Person POV**

 _ **Torchwood Complex, Just outside of Cardiff**_

The Tardis sound rang through the halls of the Torchwood Complex, startling Gwen Cooper as she typed up her monthly report to hand to Acting Captain Ianto Jones in her office.

Dr. Owen Harper and Dr. Vera Juarez looked up from a computer in the Medical Ward, glanced at each other then ran out of the room. Ianto Jones and Esther Drummond looked up at each other, from eating, eyes wide and ran out of the cafeteria, their lunch forgotten. Rex Matheson and Toshiko Sato turned around in their seats in the Alpha Control Room, and stared at the materializing Tardis.

Gwen was the first to arrive in the ACR. "What's going-" Gwen stopped as she saw the Tardis. "Has anyone come out yet?" Gwen asked Tosh and Rex.

Tosh shook her head and Rex said and shuddered, "No, but that machine always creeps me out."

Ianto and Esther were the next to arrive. "The Tardis." Breathed Esther. "Has-"

"No. I have a feeling that they are waiting until everyone is here." Gwen said just as Owen and Vera came running in.

"We heard the Tardis." Vera breathed.

The Tardis door opened and Susan came out along with Jack, both of whom were smiling. "Did you miss us?" Jack asked. Susan was wearing a similar outfit to what she used to wear, dress pants, and a light blue tank top with a black blazer overtop and flats. She had her red hair up in a pony tail. Jack had on his normal world war two outfit. Susan was a bit shorter than Gwen remembered, but she shrugged that thought off.

Gwen walked up and smacked Jack lightly on the shoulder. "Why did you have to leave us right when Terra Firma took off? This was the hardest year since I joined! It's mostly politics and press now. God those meetings can be dreadful."

Jack laughed. "I'm glad I took a break when I did then."

"Where's Amelia Rose?" Tosh asked.

"Oh, The Doctor's watching her." Susan replied. At her teammate's looks she rolled her eyes. "It's fine. It's not like this is his first experience. Remember Susan Foreman, his granddaughter?" The Torchwood team fell silent at that, knowing what happened to Gallifrey and what probably happened to his family.

"So," Vera said, interrupting the awkward silence. "Why have you come back? Is it because of the black cubes?"

Susan nodded, blushing and Jack said, "Yes, We are headed over to UNIT to tell Kate to collect all the cubes but decided to say hi to you guys first."

"So you're not staying?" Owen asked.

Jack looked at Susan and Susan kept turning redder and redder until she burst out laughing. "Sorry." She gasped, clutching her stomach. "I just can't keep a straight face." Susan said through her laughter. Then Jack burst out laughing while the Torchwood team looked on in bewilderment.

"Is there something we should know?" Esther asked, confused.

The door to the Tardis opened again and… Susan stepped out. The team gaped as second Susan walked over to Jack, wrapped her arms around him and kissed him, then looked at the now, in shock, Alpha team.

"W-w-what?" Ianto stuttered.

"You should have seen your faces." Susan by Jack said, smiling wildly.

"But there are two of you." Gwen said, staring in shock.

"Haven't you ever heard of time travel?" The first Susan asked. Then she smiled and stuck out her hand. "Amelia Rose Harkness, at your service."

There was a loud thud as Rex hit the ground, passed out.

* * *

 **1st Person- POV- Susan**

 _ **UNIT Headquarters**_

After the Alpha Torchwood team got over the shock of seeing Amelia at age sixteen when last Earth year she was one, The Doctor took Jack and I over to UNIT. Amelia wanted to stay behind at Torchwood to meet the team. I had just told her the Miracle Day adventure yesterday. Hopefully she doesn't bug them too much.

"Doctor, weren't you just here?" Kate Stewart asked, walking up to us. "Susan, Jack. It's good to see you."

"Yes, but we have more information now." The Doctor replied to Kate.

"Like what?" Kate asked.

I stepped forward. "The cubes are dangerous. If all we do is observe them, we are doing exactly what they want. We collect them and pile them all in one place, out of the way of civilians."

Kate nodded. "Alright. I'll ask how you know this later. Right now I have to get in touch with Terra Firma and discuss how we will collect all the cubes."

* * *

 **Torchwood Complex - October, 2011**

Lia was off with Gwen, Tosh, Esther and Vera on a girls day out while I stayed with Jack to take care of things. We had been here for three months and it looked like we weren't getting anywhere with the cubes.

The governments around the world had, surprisingly, all cooperated and had banned every citizen from having or being in the vicinity of a black cube. UNIT along side of Torchwood and Terra Firma then collected every cube and brought them to a warehouse in the mountains of England.

"Jack, If I am remembering correctly, this episode takes place over a year."

"Episode?" Jack asked, looking up from his desk. Ianto had made sure that there was a joint office built for Jack and I during the building of this Complex, which we missed because we were on Drax Three raising Amelia Rose.

"Yes." I said, signing my name at the bottom of the page of the packet, flipped it over then signed my name at the bottom of the next page. "From July to July."

"Oh." Jack said. "Do you think the Doctor can drop us off when he picked us up? Lia has school and I don't think her teachers would take kindly to her skipping one year."

"Good point, but she is also learning here." I said. "Owen's teaching her medical stuff and Tosh is teaching her code. Gwen's teaching her to shoot, I said I only want her progress reports on that, I will not be watching her lessons."

"Lia's growing up." Jack said.

I sighed and put my pen down. "Is it selfish of me to not want her to?"

Jack got up from his desk and came around to behind mine. He leaned over and hugged me. "I don't want her to grow up either, but it's the natural process of life. Growing up."

"That doesn't make it any easier." I grumbled.

"I know." Jack murmured. "I know."

* * *

 **Torchwood Complex- December, 2011**

Christmas lights decorated around the edges of the ceiling and wreaths hung on doors and stray mistletoes hung off the ceiling. Soft Christmas music was playing on the loudspeaker, this being the only time it was aloud.

"The cubes have stayed dormant." Kate Stewart said through a video conference call. Most of Alpha team was in the conference room, though Owen and Vera were missing, having to operate on one of the Beta team members. Lia was sitting next to me on my left and Jack to my right. "So far it's looking as if they are harmless."

"That's what they want you to think. Give it time. They'll show their true colors soon enough." I said. By this time, The Doctor had left, not being able to sit still for this long.

"Are you sure you can't give us anything more than that?" Rex asked. I had told Rex, along with Vera and Esther about me coming from a different universe. For the most part they were fine with it. Last month I had also told Lia. She was slowly getting over the fact that this was a television show. At least she still talked to me.

I shook my head and murmured, "Spoilers." Then louder I said, "Sorry."

Rex sighed and leaned back in his chair. "It's fine, Susan. Ugg. I hate the waiting."

"So do we all." Kate Said. "On another note, Terra Firma is receiving a delegation of Drahvins in a month to formulate ties with our government. They would be excellent partners for an alliance."

"Okay, We should have maximum security to Terra Firma, and England's government while they are here. We don't know what the cubes would do if they notice that we have an alien delegation coming." I said.

"Since this will be the first delegation, the press are all over me, trying to get permission to cover this event."

Jack sighed. "We don't want anything to happen, like it did on the Valiant. I would suggest using our television crews and send the broadcast to the telly stations to air it. I don't think we have to commandeer everyone's electronic device to make sure they are watching, this will be a historic event, First Contact…. For the public, at least."

"Then it's agreed. At this time, next month, the talks will be underway."

* * *

 **Amy and Rory's Backyard Garden- June, 2012**

Amy and Rory were hosting a barbecue. Torchwood's Alpha Team and the Terra Firma leaders were invited along with Amy and Rory's regular friends. Jack, Amelia and I were also here. Lia was talking with Luke and his Terra Firma co-workers. While Jack and I sat on chairs at a table, drinking wine.

It was hot and muggy out, so I was in a greenish blue dress, while Jack decided to opt for his regular world war two outfit. It was almost a year since the black cubes had appeared on Earth and we had stayed, as liaisons between Terra Firma, UNIT and Torchwood, though I knew after this year, we had to go back to our life on Drax Three.

The cubes had all been collected by the governments of the world and shipped to one UNIT's bigger on the inside warehouses, the one that they had commandeered from Miracle Day, that held medicine in it. They had studied them as much as they could possibly could, but despite my protests, UNIT had declared the cubes provisionally safe. To say I was pissed would be an understatement and I was currently not on talking terms with UNIT because they had disregarded my warnings.

I saw Amy walk over to a quieter area, take out her cell phone and make a call. Only I knew that she was calling The Doctor.

"The Doctor's here." Jack stated as he spotted The Doctor sneaking up behind Amy with flowers. I put down my Margarita on the round table and Jack and I made our way over to The Doctor and Amy. "Hey Doctor."

The Doctor turned and smiled at us. "Hello Susan, Jack. I'm going to take Amy and Rory on a little trip for their anniversary and realized that I had completely missed yours. Do you want to come?"

I glanced around the party and saw that everyone was having a good time and hadn't noticed The Doctor. Amelia Rose was engrossed with listening to tales of Torchwood, before Terra Firma, and hadn't noticed either. I looked at Jack who shrugged and I turned back to face The Doctor. "Sure!"

"Brilliant! Now, Pond, come with us and bring your husband."

* * *

 **Savory Hotel**

"26th of June, 1890. The recently opened Savoy Hotel. Dinner, bed and breakfast for two. Bonjour, bonjour. Merci, Auguste. You'll be back before the party's over. They won't even notice you went. No complications, I promise." The Doctor said as we stood outside of the Hotel. Amy and Rory had their regular clothes on but Jack and I had changed to meet the expectations of the time period.

Rory kisses the Doctor.

Jack held out his arm to me. "Shall we, my lovely wife?"

I smiled. "We shall, my adoring husband." I replied and we walked into the hotel together to our room.

* * *

 **Street**

We were still in 1890 and it was snowing out. "Bit of a shock, Zygon ship under the Savoy, half the staff impostors. Still, it's all fixed now, eh?" The Doctor said as Amy, Rory, Jack and I glared at The Doctor.

* * *

 **Bedchamber**

We all ran into the room and slammed the door shut, breathing heavily from running. "Gentleman, open the doors!" Came a voice from outside.

"I thought we were going home?" Amy snapped at The Doctor.

The Doctor shrugged helplessly. "You can't miss a good wedding. Under the bed. Under the bed!" We all hide under the big four-poster. "Shush!"

"It wasn't my fault." Amy protested.

Rory gave Amy a 'really' look. "It was totally your fault!"

Amy rolled her eyes. "Somebody was talking, and I just said yes."

"To wedding vows!" I pointed out.

Rory agreed with me. "You just married Henry VIII on our anniversary."

The monarch enters. The Doctor sneezes. "Sorry."

* * *

 **Inside the Pond's House in the Lounge- June, 2012 - same time and place**

As Amy and Rory head into the party again, Brian walked up to The Doctor, Jack and I. "How long were they away?" Brian asked us.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Brian." The Doctor tried to lie, but failed miserably.

Brian looked at The Doctor pointedly. "Because they're wearing totally different clothes from earlier."

The Doctor sighed. "Seven weeks. I got side-tracked. A lot."

"What happened to the other people who travel with you? Besides you and Jack, of course."

"Some left me. Some got left behind. And some, not many but, some died. Not them. Not them, Brian. Never them."

Only Jack noticed that I winced.

* * *

 **UNIT Complex, outside of London, Meeting Room- July, 2012**

Jack and I were in a meeting room with Kate Stewart and other UNIT members along with Victoria Fox (who was in charge of Terra Firma's political department) and Ivy Sato (who was in charge of the space department).

I still was giving UNIT the silent treatment. The only thing that I appreciated was that they did not release the cubes back into the public, but they did put them into storage. We had gathered to talk about what to do next with the cubes and currently UNIT's scientists were arguing with Ivy Sato.

I had leaned back in my chair and rested my head on Jack's shoulder, checking out. I didn't bother paying attention to the arguing. All we ever got done nowadays was argue. I sighed. Lucky Amelia was having fun at Sarah Jane's while Luke Smith, Rani Chandra and Clyde Langer had a small break from Terra Firma.

While they were arguing I got a cell phone call. I looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Brian. I answered. "Susan! Thank God! The cubes are active!"

I stilled and asked in a dangerously low tone, "What?"

"They've gone active! This place is a war-zone!" And indeed, over top of Brian's yelling, I could hear the sounds of gunfire and soldiers yelling.

"Shit! Brian, get the hell out of there!" I yelled.

"I can't! They've blocked me off from the door!"

"I'm coming to get you. Stay where you are and stay hidden!" I hung up and noticed that everyone was staring at me. I stared angrily at Kate Stewart. "Well it's a good thing that you listened to me and collected the cubes. They've gone active!"

"What?" Kate gaped, standing up in shock, eyes wide. "But they were harmless!"

"That's what they wanted you to think." I snapped at her. "Now, if you excuse me, I have to save Brian." I put in the coordinates for the cube warehouse and disappeared. I reappeared in the warehouse and immediately ducked as a cube shot a laser at the space my head was seconds earlier.

* * *

 **A/N: College started back up on Tuesday and it's not even been a week and I'm already** **exhausted...**

 **Feel Free to Review!**

 **Reviewer:**

 _alwaystherereading:_ Aww, thanks! :)


	8. The Power of Six- Part 2

**The Power of Six- Part 2**

The warehouse was in chaos. Soldiers were yelling orders and firing at the cubes, unable to damage them while the cubes flew around in the air, shooting different colored lasers at the soldiers. "Brian!" I yelled through the chaos.

I heard a cough, then, "Here!" Brian stuck his head up, briefly, and then ducked down, barely missing a shot from the cubes. The was a good thirty feet between us.

"Hold on! I'm coming. Don't move!" I yelled, picking up a gun that was next to an unconscious soldier, who I moved behind some boxes.

"I wasn't going to!" Brian yelled back.

I dashed to the next box and leaned up against it as some of the cubes broke off from firing at the soldiers and started firing at me. I sighed. At this rate It would take forever to get Brian out of here. I peered over top of the box and fired a couple rounds before ducking back behind the box. This is impossible. I thought. There was no way I could make it to the next box without being hit. Brian was only two boxes away. I reprogrammed my vortex manipulator to bring me right next to brian. I then fired some more rounds at the cubes and then disappeared and reappeared next to Brian, startling him. "Are you okay?" I asked.

"A bit shaken but that's it." Brian said. "They just... I don't know. Activated themselves." Brian was still shocked.

"It's alright, Brian. It wasn't your fault."

"But I was in charge."

I looked at Brian pointedly. "This was always going to happen, if you had been in charge or not."

Brian sighed. "Can you just get me out of here?"

I nodded, I typed in the coordinates of the meeting room, pressed the go and… nothing happend. "What the hell?" I fiddled with it more. Nothing. "Damnit. Nice time for you to break." I looked at Brian. "We're going to have to fight our way out."

"What?!" Brian exclaimed.

I peered around the box, trying to see the door. It was only fifty feet away. "Crap. Not enough cover." I said. I got out my cell and called Kate.

"Susan, what happened, why aren't you back yet?" Kate asked hurriedly. "You're husband's currently giving me the evil eye."

"My vortex manipulator isn't working properly. I'm not going to risk it. Tell your soldiers to give me cover fire so I can get Brian out of the regular way."

"On it. Here's your husband. Perhaps you can calm him down." Kate said, then handed the phone to Jack.

"Susan, get the hell out of there."

"Don't you think I am trying." I retorted.

Jack sighed, frustrated. "Brilliant day for me to leave my vortex manipulator at home."

I snorted. "Always wear yours. That's what I've been doing."

"Just be safe. I don't want you regenerating just yet."

"Neither do I. I rather like this body."

"I'll wait for you outside the warehouse. I don't think they would let me in."

I smiled faintly. "See you soon." Then I ended the call. I turned to Brian.

"You had a cell phone call during a war zone." Brian stated as he stared at me.

I shrugged my shoulders. "So?" I grabbed my gun tighter. "See that open door?" I asked Brian. Brian nodded. "I want you to run to it. Don't look back and don't stop."

"What about you?" Brian asked frantically.

"I'll be fine. Just get out of here." I crouched, in position to start providing Brian some cover fire. "Go on three." Brian nodded. "One. Two. Three!" I stood up and fired at the cubes, walking the opposite direction of the door. "Hey cubes! Over here!" About ten cubes broke off and started firing at me. I ducked down behind a different crate, farther from the door.

I looked around and saw that Brian had made it out. I let out a sigh. Now I just had to get the other soldiers out and seal the warehouse. I took out my cell and called Tosh. Time to ask her if she completed her project. "Hey, Tosh. How's it going?"

"Is that gunfire?" Tosh got right to the point.

"Possibly. I'm in UNIT's warehouse. I need you to activate… what we have been working on and get everyone out of here."

"But we haven't even tested it yet!" Tosh cried.

"This can be our test. I wouldn't turn to this unless I had any other choice, you know that Tosh. I won't have anymore soldiers dying today."

"What happened!?"

"The cubes activated, like I said they would. Get us out of here." I said, then fired some more at the cubes and ducked back down. "Now!"

"Alright! Starting up the sequence, now!"

I held my breath as I disappeared from the warehouse and reappeared, along with every soldier, dead or alive, outside the warehouse. "Close the door!" I yelled / commanded. Four soldiers ran to the side of the warehouse and started to push the door closed.

Jack ran over to me as three laser blasts got through as the door slammed shut. The laser blasts flew overtop of our heads and exploded the building behind us, making the people standing closer to that building get knocked down by the blast. I stumbled a bit.

"You!" I grabbed a shoulder of a soldier running by. "Do you know warehouse number two?"

"Y-yes." He replied, recognizing me instantly.

"Get the Particle Force Field and set it up around this warehouse."

"But-"

"NOW, Soldier!" I yelled at him. He couldn't have been more than twenty-one.

The soldier gulped and ran in the direction of warehouse number two. Jack came up to me. "What are you doing?"

I turned to face my husband. "Making sure the cubes don't break out." I said. I looked around and people were running everywhere. Ambulances had shown up now. They were UNIT ambulances to take people who had been severely hurt to a hospital run by both UNIT and Torchwood. This was something both organizations could agree to.

It looked highly disorganized, people running to an fro, but I knew it was the most organized that we were going to get at this point. The warehouse door that the cubes were in, had a constant banging, as if the cubes were trying to get out. Around ten soldiers were holding the door closed.

My cell phone rang and I answered it. It was Jason Kipplar, an arrogant Captain of UNIT, whom I hated and he despised me with a passion. "I found a soldier breaking into warehouse two, saying he was under orders from you. Is that true? If not, he faces court Marshal charges."

I gritted my teeth. "Yes. I asked him to bring and set up the Particle Force Field around the warehouse so the cubes don't break free and wreak havoc among the civilian population. Let him go. NOW or I will have your job." I growled.

"This isn't over, Mrs. Harkness."

"And I wouldn't want it to be." I spat out. He hung up.

"Mr. Kipplar?" Jack guessed. He was the only one here that I had a serious problem with.

I sighed. "Yes. Let's hope that his interference didn't cost us time."

"Brian's out of the way. He's outside the property, heading to our Torchwood Facilities."

I smiled slightly. "Good." I sighed. "Why couldn't Kate just listen? None of this would have happened. People wouldn't have died." I crossed my arms, the gun that I borrowed still in my right hand.

Jack kissed me lightly on the cheek. "Humans are stubborn, you know that, Susan."

"Yes, but her stubbornness caust lives."

"Ma'am!" Someone yelled. I looked around for the voice and saw that it was the soldier from earlier whom I told to get the Particle Force Field. "Sorry, I got held up." He breathed. "Captain Kip-

"No time to talk." I said, interrupting him. I grabbed two small black pillars and gave one to Jack and kept the other. "We have to set these at the four corners of the building for it to work. The wood won't hold much longer. I will activate it."

Jack and I ran to one side of the building while the soldier ran to the other side with the other two. Jack ran to the far end while I set the small black pillar up at the closest corner. _Are you ready?_ I asked Jack.

 _Ready._ Jack responded, and I could see him placing his pillar down on the ground. _What about the other side?_

 _I'll wait another moment._ I waited one more minute then flipped open a black cover and started pressing buttons. I pressed the command and a yellowish orange force field surrounded the building and the banging on the inside grew significantly softer. I breathed out and stepped back. _It worked._

* * *

 **Torchwood Complex**

The soldier, who I found out later was called Keith Locrin, was a new recruit. I immediately asked if he wanted a position at Torchwood. He agreed and I put him in Torchwood Team Eco for basic training. To say Captain Kipplar was pissed was an understatement.

I was in my office at the Torchwood Complex, getting off a phone call when Amelia burst through the door, back from her time at Sarah Jane's. "Mum! I saw what happened at UNIT on the news!" She ran around the desk and threw herself at me, hugging me. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, sweetheart." I said, rubbing her back. I sighed. "The cubes activated."

Lia pulled back, shocked. "But Kate declared them provisionally safe!"

"Ms. Stewart, Lia." I reprimanded her. Lia sighed. "I told her that they were dangerous. We're just lucky that they weren't in the hands of civilians.

The phone rang. It was Kate. I sighed and picked it up. "Ms. _Stewart_ , how may I help you?"

"The cubes are counting down."

I sat up straight. "What?"

"Mum?" Lia asked. "What's happening?"

"We have a live security feed into the cube warehouse. All the cubes had the number five on them. Then they switched from five to four."

"I'm coming over." I said. "Is The Doctor there yet?"

"No, but I am heading out to the William residence to collect him."

I sighed. "It's Pond, Kate. I'll meet you at UNIT HQ."

* * *

 **Tower of London, side entrance**

Jack, Amelia and I waited outside the door to UNIT HQ and saw a black van pull up. Kate, The Doctor and Amy Pond came out. "Every cube activated at the same moment." Kate said. "Started a shooting match with our soldiers. Ten died and I'm not happy about it."

"You sent me a message to my psychic paper. You know what? I'm almost impressed." The Doctor commented, nodding to us as Jack, Lia and I followed them inside, behind Amy.

* * *

 **UNIT H.Q.**

"Secret base beneath the Tower. Hope we're not here because we know too much." The Doctor joked.

"Yes, I've got officers trained in beheading. Also ravens of death." Kate commented.

"I like her." Amy said and I rolled my eyes.

They enter an area with lots of individual armoured cubicles, each containing a cube. I rounded on Kate, glaring at her. "I thought you had all the cubes in the warehouse!"

Kate didn't reply but said, "There are fifty being monitored. I don't know how useful it is. Every cube is behaving individually. There's no meaningful pattern. Some respond to proximity. Some create mood swings."

Amy touches one cubicle and the cube produces a flames. In another, a woman weeps. "Er, what's this one?"

"Try the door." Kate said and I crossed my arms. I did not like how Kate was handling this situation. Amy opens the door and the Birdie Song starts playing. "On a loop!" Amy shuts the door again quickly. "This is the latest."

"Oh. Systems breach at the Pentagon, China, every African nation, the Middle East." Jack said, staring at the screen.

"I've got government's screaming for explanations and no idea what to tell them. I'm lost, Doctor. We all are." Kate said. "The Press are all having a field day too. One reporter got passed the gates and filmed the tail end of the fight at the warehouse."

"Well, if you wanted help, all you had to do was ask me." I said, still glaring at her.

"Don't despair, Kate. Your dad never did. Kate Stewart, heading up UNIT, changing the way they work. How could you not be? Why did you drop Lethbridge?"

"I didn't want any favours. Though he guided me, even to the end. Science leads, he always told me. Said he'd learned that from an old friend." Kate said.

The Doctor stared at Kate for a moment, then said, "We don't let him down. We don't let this planet down."

"They've stopped." A researcher said. "All the cubes in the warehouse. They just shut down."

Kate scoffed. "Active for forty seven minutes, and then they just die?"

"Not dead. Dormant, maybe."

"Then why shut down?" Lia asked.

"I don't know. I don't know. I need to think. I need some air. Who has an underground base? Terrible ventilation."

The Doctor and Amy left to go take a breather. Jack, Lia and I stayed in the room. I turned to Kate. "You went behind my back."

"I did what I thought was right." Kate said, defending herself.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, look what that got you. Ten dead soldiers. Why were people even in the cube warehouse to begin with? And you let Brian near them, a civilian!"

Kate narrowed her eyes. "How dare you!"

I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was Jack's. "Susan, perhaps you should let this go."

"Let this go? People have died! Brian could have died! If you don't want my help, fine. We're leaving. See if Torchwood ever helps you again." I snapped, grabbed Lia's hand and marched out of UNIT HQ, Jack running after us.

Jack was driving our black car. Lia was in the back and I was in the passenger seat. "Perhaps you shouldn't have been so harsh." Jack said.

"People died, Jack. Innocent people died because Kate couldn't do as I said. We're going to Rory's Hospital." Jack looked at me, questionably. I sighed. "There is a hidden Spaceship, one that can scramble our sensors. The way on it is at the Hospital."

* * *

 **Hospital**

Jack, Lia and I walked up to the central desk. "Hello, I need to speak to Nurse Williams."

"And who are you?" The blond haired clerk asked.

"Susan Jane Harkness." I slid my psychic paper forward. "Torchwood." Her eyes widened. "Don't worry, he's not in any trouble. We're old friends."

The blond clerk pressed something and her voice came over the speakers. "Nurse Williams to the central desk. Nurse Williams to the central desk please." She let off her finger. "He should be on his way now.

Jack, Amelia and I only had to wait three minutes before Rory came around the corner and stopped at the sight of us. Then he sped up quickly to us and hissed, "What are you doing here? This is my _job_!"

"Sorry, Rory, but I have reason to believe that there is a wormhole somewhere in this hospital."

"A wormhole?" Rory whisper yelled. "I give up!"

"Did you bring Biran here?" I asked, rather suddenly.

"No, why?" Rory asked me. "After what happened at UNIT, I'm keeping him locked up in my house."

My eyes widened. "Nothing. Now, err, I'm looking for a hallway with an elevator at the end of a corridor."

"There's a load of them." Rory deadpanned.

I sighed. "Okay, we split up. Look for the hallway that has little to no people in it and has an elevator at the end. Once you find it, do not do anything. Call me and I'll come running."

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Harkness, you can't go any further than the patient's lounge without a proper-" The blond clerk cut off when I gave her a nasty glare.

"I'm Torchwood. I have clearance from The Queen _and_ The PM to do whatever I need to get the job done. Currently, you're in my way." The clerk gulped and sat back down in her chair. " _Thank you._ Now, let's go."

* * *

 **Empty Hallway**

It took about two minutes, but I found the hallway that looked familiar to the television show. Suddenly I am nearly pushed over as two Doctors push a trolley. I knew who they were. _Jack, I found it._ I said and sent him an image of the hallway I was in. Out loud, I said, "Sorry. Er, excuse me? I'm looking for the supplies cupboard." They didn't stop and I chased after them, grabbing one of their shoulders. "I said, I'm looking for the supplies cupboard."

They turned to face me, narrowing their eyes as they went. Then they started to advance. _Jack, sorry about this._ That was all I had time to send as they grabbed me, put a cloth over my mouth and nose. I grew weary and sleepy.

I collapsed, unconscious.

* * *

 **Spaceship**

I blinked the sleep out of my eyes and realized that I was on the Spaceship. Jack was lying unconscious next to me. Rory was about to roll me away when I said, "Stop. I'm fine." Rory let go of my bed.

I swung my feet over the edge of the bed, stood up and collapsed. Lia caught me, saying, "Mum!"

"Ugg, what did they give me?" I groaned, using my right fist to hit my legs, trying to get them working again.

"Doctor! What do I do?" Lia asked, still holding me up.

The Doctor turned around. "Get your parent's out of here. We'll deal with this."

Lia nodded and said to me, "Come on, Mum. Let's get you back on that gurney." Amelia helped me to stand up and I put my hands on the gurney, helping my daughter lift me up back on the gurney.

Breathing heavily, I got out, "Thanks Lia."

Lia smiled sadly. "Any time, Mum." And then rolled me out of the spaceship and into the hallway where I was attacked before. "Stay here, Mum. I'm going back for Dad."

"Lia!" I called as she was about to step back into the elevator.

Lia turned around. "Yes?"

I smiled. "You'll do good."

* * *

 **Hospital, Room 216**

Rory wouldn't let either Jack or I leave the hospital until he was certain that the drugs the alien had pumped into our legs wore off, which wouldn't be until Friday. Two more days in the Hospital… _Yay_.

At least Rory put Jack's bed right next to mine and we shared a room. No other Doctor or Nurse or Hospital staff was allowed in here except by invitation.

Lia was sleeping in a cushioned chair by the window and Jack had just fallen asleep in the bed next to me. I sighed and reopened the book I was reading, _The Lion Witch and The Wardrobe_. It was a classic, but I loved it, nevertheless. I bought a set of the series for Lia and planned on giving it to her once we got back home.

"Ah, C.S. Luis." Came Kate Stewart's voice from the doorway. "Always loved his books."

I sighed, put my bookmark back where I had left off and put it down next to me. "What are you doing here, Kate?"

Kate Stewart looked pained as she said, "I'm sorry."

My eyes widened. "What?"

Kate took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I was stubborn and an idiot and that cost lives, which is inexcusable."

I looked at Kate, puzzled. "What changed between earlier today and now?"

Kate looked down. "I… I had to write letters home to their families explaining what happened."

We were silent for a couple minutes. "I'm sorry as well. I shouldn't have yelled at you."

Kate looked up. "Are we still friends?" She asked hesitatingly.

I smiled and gave a brief nod. "Friends."

* * *

 **A/N: Is college supposed to make you want to pull out your hair?...**

 _ **Review:**_

 _alwaystherereading:_ Thanks! Yep, Brian's fine. :)


	9. Telling Brian

**Telling Brian**

 _ **Drax Three**_

We returned to Drax Three two months ago. We were all one year older than when we left. Amelia was 17, but we had to pretend that she was actually a year younger, since we didn't want any attention to our time traveling.

Amelia had just gotten home from school when we heard the Tardis. I was cleaning up the kitchen with Jack. Lia put her bag down at the door and ran into the kitchen just as the Tardis finished materialising and The Doctor stepped out.

His expression was sad, angry and disappointed. "You knew." Were his only two words.

I swallowed, guessing what had happened. Manhattan. "You went to Manhattan, didn't you." I said softly. The Doctor didn't say anything, but Lia and Jack were looking between The Doctor and I, trying to figure out what was going on. "Doctor, you know that I couldn't stop it. It would cause a paradox. You _know_ how dangerous they are. We can't afford to restart the universe twice."

"You could have done something." The Doctor said in a dangerously low voice, even Jack took a step closer to me.

"It's like the Library." I said to Jack, tears threatening to fall. To The Doctor I said, "I couldn't have stopped it."

Jack froze at the mention of the Library. "Susan, what happened?" Jack asked. Lia was looking between the three of us, wondering what the hell was going on.

The Doctor held out a piece of paper that looked like it was torn out of a book. "This is your letter." I took the page with shaking hands and clutched onto the letter. The Doctor turned around without another word and started walking back to the Tardis.

"Wait," I called. The Doctor stopped, but didn't turn around. "What about Brian? Did you tell him?"

Without turning around, The Doctor said, "You tell him." The Doctor then stepped back into his Tardis and dematerialized.

"Susan?" Jack asked. "Susan, what's happened?" I didn't answer, just continued to stare at the spot the Tardis once was. "Susan, please tell me." Jack pleaded.

I drew in a shaky breath and said, "Amy and Rory are dead." Then I collapsed, hearing a faint shriek of "Mum!", then darkness.

* * *

I awoke in my bed, next to a sleeping Jack. I looked over at our alarm clock and it said two fifteen in the morning. I sighed and slowly, careful not to wake Jack, got up. I put on my glasses and saw that the note from Amy to me was on my nightstand.

I took the letter, stood up and walked out of Jack's and my room to my study. I switched a small desk lamp on and began to read.

 _Afterword Revised, by Amelia Williams_

 _Hello, my dear friend. I know what you are thinking. How this is all your fault. I'm here to tell you that it's not. There's nothing you could have done. I just wanted to let you know that we are happy. Rory and I, in 1946. I've become a writer, I know, that doesn't sound like me, but it helps me cope. We've adopted. Anthony Brian Williams. We've both got jobs and the start of a family. Don't worry, we'll be fine and I don't blame you, even for a second. Give Lia hugs from Rory and I._

 _With Love, Amelia Williams_

At the end of Amy's letter, tears were streaming down my cheeks. I heard a creak of floorboards and looked up from my desk to find Jack. Jack didn't say anything but took me in his arms and guided me back to our bed.

* * *

I zapped in with my vortex manipulator. I had told Jack and Lia that I wanted to do this alone. Amy and Rory's house was just the way they left it, except they weren't there. I walked slowly into the living room to see Brian watering some plants.

"Susan." Brian said, surprised. Then he saw my expression. "What happened?"

I let out a breath. "I'm sorry, Brian. I'm so sorry."

Brian set down his watering can and stared at me. "What are you talking about?"

The doorbell rings. "I would answer that." I said softly.

Brian goes to the door and answers it to find a man dressed in an old fashioned suit. "Mr. Brian Williams?" The man asked in a New York accent.

"Yes. How did you know I was here? This isn't my house."

"This is for you." He holds out an envelope with _**Dad**_ written on it.

Brian stared at the envelope then looked back at the man. "I don't understand."

"You should read it. I'll wait." Brian goes into the living room and sits on the couch, taking out the letter. The man turns to me. "You must be Mrs. Harkness. I must say it is an honor to meet you." The man holds out a hand. "The name's Anthony."

* * *

 **A/N: Feel Free to Review!**

 _ **Reviewer:**_

 _alwaystherereading:_ Thanks for the review!


	10. A Day on Drax Three

**A Day on Drax Three**

 _ **Constellation of Synthia**_

 _ **Outskirts of Draxiar- The Harkness Estate**_

 **Morning**

It had been five months since Amy and Rory had passed. Amelia and Jack were handling it better than I was. I figured that was because I knew what was going to happen and they didn't. I had taken to working out in my spare time, and now I was able to spar with Jack and Nathan (a stable hand who happened to be very good martial artist) and hold my own.

I awoke to an empty bed. Then I remembered that Jack had to go into Draxiar today to meet with some clients. I looked at the note he left besides the bed.

 _I'll be back before dinner. XX_. _\- Jack_.

I sighed and got ready for the day. I used the showers and put on some comfortable brown pants and an blue blouse. I sat down in front of my mirror and stared at my reflection. My ginger hair was down to the center of my back. My black, square glasses, pushed up to the bridge of my nose.

I looked down at my desk and saw scissors. I looked back at my reflection, then back at the scissors. I took out my cell and called Jessica, one of my most trusted employee's. After five minutes she knocked on the bedroom door and I called, "Enter."

Jessica entered, her brown hair tumbling down her back in curly waves. She wore a blue dress and was quite tall. "You called?"

I nodded. "Would you mind cutting my hair?"

Jessica looked puzzled. "Why would you want it cut? It's beautiful the way it is."

"I just want a change. Cut it pixie style."

* * *

 **Mid-morning**

I went downstairs after Jessica left, my head feeling one hundred times lighter. I took one look at the mess Lia and Jack left in the kitchen from breakfast and groaned. Today would be more washing and cleaning.

* * *

 **12:30 (noon)**

I had just finished cleaning the kitchen when the door slammed closed…. Amelia was home from school. The school day started at 7:00 and ended at noon. "I'm in the kitchen, sweetheart!" I called, then as an afterthought, "Remember to do your homework!"

"I know!" Came an annoyed response back.

I sighed and shook my head. Lia must have had a bad day at school.

* * *

 **Afternoon**

I had cleaned up from lunch and was now at my computer, making some new adjustments for our farm. We were slowly gaining more publicity because we grew a variety of food from thousands of planets, and all without any chemicals.

That was why Jack was in Draxiar right now, to get some major stores to sell some of our goods.

There was a knock and Lia stuck her head around my study door. "Mum, I'm going to Arya Quiar's house. I'll be back before dinner."

"Just be careful." I replied. "Remember you can call my cell if anything happens."

Lia rolled her eyes. "I know, Mum."

* * *

 **Evening**

Jack had just gotten home from Draxiar. We were all sitting around the kitchen table playing Draxiar's version of Monopoly. "And that's three more Spaceship's for me." Lia declared, putting one spaceship on each red color. She grinned. "Now I have an entire side of the board, and it's right before the 'go to prison' spot too."

I looked at Jack and he said, "Shit. We'll beat her, don't worry, Susan."

I rolled my eyes at my husband's language. "I know, darling."

* * *

 **Night**

I snuggled up close to Jack as we tried to go to sleep. "Jack?" I whispered.

"Yes?" Jack whispered back.

"Do you ever miss living on Earth?" I asked.

Jack was quiet for some time, then, "Yes, of course."

I sighed and hugged Jack. "I do as well. I wish we could go back, but I don't think Amelia is ready. She would have to be able to fend for herself. We wouldn't always be able to be there for her. Especially in an end of the world crisis."

"Those happen a lot, don't you think?" Jack asked.

I let out a soft laugh. "Yeah. Though I do miss those as well. I miss Torchwood."

"We'll be with them soon. Just two more years till Amelia is eighteen." Jack said, kissing my temple. "Two more years."

* * *

 **A/N: Feel free to review!**

 _ **Reviewer:**_

 _alwaystherereading:_ Me either, I always liked Amy and Rory.

 _ **Thank you to my favorite:** MrMarioluigi1000_


	11. The Snowmen- Part 1

**The Snowmen- Part 1**

 **Drax Three**

It had been three weeks since The Doctor came and told us about the Pond's deaths. Amy and Rory's deaths had done a number on my body from the guilt. I haven't had a wink of sleep since. Jack had started to notice that I hadn't slept, but thankfully Amelia Rose was blissfully unaware.

I had never really asked The Doctor how long Time Lord's can go without sleeping, but since I was still fine after three weeks, I figured I was fine. I didn't want to go to sleep, because every time I would try, I got nightmares from _The Angels Take Manhattan_ , but instead of the angle's getting Amy and Rory, they got Jack and Amelia Rose.

I was reading a book on the couch. Jack was next to me, doing some paperwork and Amelia was upstairs in her room doing… whatever she was doing. My cell phone started to ring. I sighed, put the bookmark back into it's spot, closed the book and got up to answer my cell.

"Hello, Susan Jane Harkness's phone."

"Oh, good. I finally figured out how to work this. I don't know if I said my name, but I am Vastra. I need your help."

My eyes widened. "Vastra… as in Silurian?" At Silurian, Jack's head snapped up and stared at me.

"Yes."

"How did you get my number?" I asked.

"The Doctor gave it to me incase we needed anything."

"Why do you need my help?" I asked, starting to pace around the livingroom.

I heard a yell, that was not Vastra's, coming through the phone. "Remember to ask if he has any grenade's. I'm running short."

I heard Vastra yell back, "Susan is a girl, Strax! I doubt she has any." Then she said in a quieter tone, "Sorry about him. He's a Jadoon, not really bright."

"I heard that!" Yelled Strax.

I laughed briefly. "So, you need my help?"

"Yes. The Doctor's retired."

My smile fell. "He's on a cloud and refuses to help anyone, am I correct?"

Vastra sighed. "Yes. He told me you were good at assessing the situation, but he didn't tell me that you were that good."

"Did he tell you how I… assess the situation?" I asked, curiously.

"All he told me was that you were from a different universe than this and that universe aided in helping you assess."

I briefly closed my eyes. "You need help convincing him to save people again."

"Yes, that is correct."

I glanced at Jack who was watching me carefully. "Alright. We'll be there within the hour."

"Very good. I will be waiting for you, Mrs. Harkness." Vastra hung up.

"The Doctor's in trouble?" Jack asked, putting his pen down.

I sighed and sat back down on the couch. "Sort of. He refuses to help anyone. He just sits up on a cloud and watches."

"Uh, a cloud?"

"Yes."

"Well then, let's go slap some sense into The Doctor." Jack said, standing up.

* * *

 **Earth, England, 1892**

Jack, Lia and I appeared in an alleyway. I looked at my vortex manipulator and said, "Yep. Earth, England, 1892." We were in clothing that fit the style of the time. Jack wore black trousers, a wing tipped shirt (white), a red vest, a victorian cutaway black coat, a pearl black tie, with a pocket watch with a chain. Jack also had a black umbrella with a brown wooden handle.

Since I knew there would be running, I vetoed a dress and skirt. I wore white campaigner Leggings in khaki, dark royal blue shirt, and a black tsarina coat which I buttoned up completely so that my shirt wasn't showing at all. The coat went halfway down my legs. I also wore black leather gloves and a silver teardrop necklace. My short red hair was washed and combed back sleekly.

Lia opted for brown riding pants underneath a creamish green skirt that went down to her ankles, brown riding boots, a brown corset over a silk classic camisole. She wore her red hair down, but with a hair tie on her right wrist. Her shoulder's weren't covered, as the time wanted, but I didn't care that much.

We walked out of the alleyway and into the bustling streets of London. It was daytime. Jack checked his pocket watch. "Hmm, Strax should be here with the carriage in three, two one."

As if by magic, a carriage pulled up next to us. Strax lifted his head… he was in all black robes with a hood on so no one would notice him being a Jadoon. "Well, hop in. Mistress is very anxious to meet you."

Jack, Lia and I glanced at each other. I shrugged and said, "Of course, Strax." I climbed into the carriage followed by Lia and then Jack.

A faint, "Hiai!" came from Strax as he started the carriage moving to Vastra's house.

* * *

Jenny was carrying in a silver platter with four cups of tea as Vastra paced back and forth in her study. "I've tried everything I can to get that… stubborn man off his cloud and back to investigating, but nothing seems to work!" Vastra was complaining. She had been complaining for the past five minutes. She turned to me. "You're of The Doctor's own kind. Could you help him?"

I swallowed. "I don't think he rather likes me at the moment."

Vastra looked confused. "Why ever not?"

"I have… a certain amount of, let's call it, foreknowledge." I said, not really feeling like explaining the concept of the telly to a Silurian. "I kept some foreknowledge from him and that directly led to him living on top of the cloud over Victorian London."

"Ah." Vastra said, picking up her tea cup and sipping it. "That complicates things."

"Yes it does." I agreed. "But I also know that he will get back to investigating soon. When is Christmas?"

"Three days." Vastra replied, taking another sip of her tea and placing it on the small table beside her chair. "Why? Have you got something in mind?"

I smiled. "Oh I think the universe is far ahead of you."

* * *

Jack, Lia and I all sat around the telephone that Vastra was currently talking into, while I was trying not to laugh. "How refreshing to see you taking an interest again. Was she nice?" Vastra asked in a knowing tone.

The Doctor sighed. "I just spoke to her."

Vastra rolled her eyes. "And made your usual impact, no doubt."

"No, no impact at all. Those days are over."

Vastra let out a slight laugh. "You can't help yourself. It's the same story every time. And it always begins with the same two words."

"She'll never be able to find me again. She doesn't even have the name. Doctor. What two words?" The Doctor asked, clearly irritated.

We heard a bang of wood against wood and then a woman's voice, " Doctor? Doctor who?"

I had my hand over my mouth and was laughing, trying not to let The Doctor hear me… he didn't know we were here yet and I doubt he would appreciate us trying to get him back on his feet.

A smile flashed over Vastra's face and she let out a loud laugh. "Of course, Doctor. Good night." Vastra hung up the phone, still laughing. "Oh that was the most fun I've had in weeks! I think that girl will do him good."

I smiled. "Me too."

Vastra rang for Jenny who, after a minute, came bustling into the study. "You rang, Ma'am?"

"Jenny, it appears we have business to take care of." Vastra looked at me. "You're more than welcome to join us, Susan. We have a meeting with Simeon."

I stood up. "Of course." I turned to Amelia. "And I think it's bedtime for you, Miss."

"Mum!" Lia protested.

"No buts." I turned to my husband. "Could you stay with her, don't worry, this will be a quick errand."

* * *

I trailed behind Simeon as he walked down the alleyway, not to close that he would notice me, but not to far that I couldn't keep up. We planned that Vastra and Jenny would step in front of him soon. Just as I finished that thought, Jenny and Vastra moved silently from the shadows to stand in front of Simeon.

Simeon noticed the weapons on the women and turned the other way to face me, hands on my hips and a disapproving glare in his direction. He turned slowly around to face Vastra and Jenny.

"Well, Doctor Simeon, you're out very late tonight." Jenny said snidely.

"Almost makes you wonder what you've been up to. But then, I have often wondered about the activities of Doctor Simeon and his exceptionally secretive Institute." Vastra retorted.

"Well, I am honoured this evening. The veiled detective and her fatuous accomplice."

Jenny curtsied. "At your service."

"Who's the third?"

"That's none of your concern." I said in an dark tone.

"You realise Doctor Doyle is almost certainly basing his fantastical tales on your own exploits? With a few choice alterations, of course. I doubt the readers of The Strand magazine would accept that the great detective is, in reality a woman." Simeon lifts Vastra's veil to reveal that she is a Silurian.

"And her suspiciously intimate companion."

Vastra sniffs in defiance. "I resent your implication of impropriety. We are married."

Jenny looked him up and down in clear disappointment. "More than can be said for you, eh, dear?"

"Now then. This snow is interesting, don't you think? The ice crystals seem to have a low level telepathic field. Almost as if it can detect and respond to the thoughts and memories of the people around it. Memory snow. Snow that learns." Vastra said. During her speech she picked up snow with her right hand and inspected it, crushing it under her fingers and let it fall from her hand.

"How fascinating." Sneered.

"I hope it's listening to the right people. It could be a terrible weapon in the wrong hands, don't you think?" I said, causing Simeon to turn to me and glare.

"I think winter is coming. Such a winter as this world has never known. The last winter of humankind. Do you know why I'm telling you all this?"

"I am intrigued." I said in the most monotone voice I could conjure.

"Because there's not a single thing you can do to stop it."

"Perhaps I can't, but I know a man who can." Vastra said.

Simeon turned back to Vastra. "I look forward to meeting him." Simeon leaves.

"Do you mean the Doctor? He won't help us. He never helps any more, you know that." Jenny said. "No matter who asks him." I winced. I knew Jenny was talking about me.

"Yes, my dear, I do. So pray for a miracle, because I think we are going to need him."

* * *

Lia was out with Jenny doing errands while Jack and I talked in the kitchen. Vastra was in her study, not to be disturbed. We were in the same clothes as yesterday.

"Snow that can learn?" Jack asked, taking a sip of his coffee that had to be cold by now. "Why do I have a feeling that this is one of those episodes?" Jack asked rhetorically.

"Because it is." I replied and giggled when Jack's head made contact with the table. "And it might be a Christmas Special." At the word 'special', Jack lifted his head and let it drop on the table again. "Jack," I sighed. "You're going to give yourself a migraine."

"Of course it had to be a 'Special'." Jack groaned. "I should have foreseen this as soon as Vastra said the word Christmas. Something always happens on Christmas."

"That's just bad luck." I said. We talked for a bit longer and stopped suddenly when the door to the kitchen opened and Lia entered.

"Mum, Vastra want's you in her study." I stood up and Jack did the same until, "No, Dad. Just Mum."

I gave an apologetic smile to Jack and said, "Thanks Lia." I walked into Vastra's study and closed the door behind me. My heart's stopped briefly as I laid eyes on Clara. "Yes, Vastra?"

"You will ask our guest questions while our guest gives a single word response." Jenny looked at Clara. "Only one word, do you understand?"

I blinked. "Of course."

Clara looked at me and was silent for a couple seconds, then said, "Why?"

"Truth is singular. Lies are words, words, words. You met the Doctor, didn't you?" I stared into Clara's eyes, trying to make myself forget that this version of her dies.

"Yes."

I swallowed. "And now you've come looking for him again. Why?"

"Take your time. One word only." Jenny said to Clara.

Clara is silent for more than a minute. "Curiosity."

"About?" I asked.

"Snow." Clara said, more clearly now.

"And about him?"

"Yes." Clara breathed.

"What do you want from him?"

"Help."

I stepped forward one step. "Why?"

"Danger." Clara said, fast.

"Why would he help you?"

Clara thought about it, then, "Kindness."

"The Doctor is not kind." I said.

"No?"

"No. The Doctor doesn't help people. Not anyone, not ever. He stands above this world and doesn't interfere in the affairs of its inhabitants. He is not your salvation, nor your protector. Do you understand what I am saying to you?" I asked, my arms were crossed now.

"Words."

"He was different once, a long time ago. Kind, yes. A hero, even. A saver of worlds. But he suffered losses which hurt him. Now he prefers isolation to the possibility of pain's return. Kindly choose a word to indicate your understanding of this." I said.

"Man." Clara said, a bit forcefully.

I swallowed. "We are the Doctor's friends. We assist him in his isolation but that does not mean we approve of it. So, a test for you. Give me a message for the Doctor. Tell him all about the snow and what fresh danger you believe it presents, and above all, explain why he should help you. But do it in one word. You're thinking it is impossible that such a word exists, or that you could even find it. Let's see if the gods are with you."

Clara sat back in her chair and thought. And thought. And thought. Then, one single word came out. "Pond."

I froze, even though I knew she was going to say that. "Very well, Miss. Oswald," I smirked, "Or should I say Miss. Montague."

At that name Clara froze. "How?" She asked, her breathing increased at being caught.

I smiled, reassuringly. "Don't worry, I won't tell Captain Latimer." Jenny and Vastra exchanged confused glances, which Clara caught. "You work very well with the children. I wouldn't want to see you sacked and the children one less of a friend."

Clara smiled up at me, amazed that I would keep her secret. "Thanks."

"One last question Miss. Montague," I said, looking at Clara pointedly. "Does Captain Latimer have a job vacancy?"

Clara looked confused as she answered, "Yes."

"What job?"

"Cook."

* * *

I entered Captain Latimer's study, behind the maid, Alice, who said, "Mrs. Harkness is here for the job interview, Captain Latimer."

Latimer looked up from his open book and put a hand on the page he was on and put his quill in the ink holder. "Ah, thank you, Alice. You may continue with your chores. So, Mrs. Harkness, you are looking to be employed?"

I nodded my head. "Yes, Captain Latimer. I was hoping for a position as your cook."

"I see." Latimer stated, standing up and pushing his chair in. "May I see your credentials?"

I took out my psychic paper from my bag. "Of course." Latimer reached his hand forward and I handed him the psychic paper. "It should all be in order."

I saw Latimer's eyes widen. "Is that references from William Gladstone, the Prime Minister?"

I nodded. "I was his personal cook." I lied.

Latimer looked it over one more time before handing the paper back to me. "What happened to make you leave?"

"I had my daughter. I took too much time off."

Latimer turned around and walked over to his window and looked out of it. He was silent for a few minutes. "Very well. I trust you will be able to find your domain."

"Thank you, Captain Latimer." I said.

"Dinner will be at six sharp. Think of this as your first test. If the children like the food, you can stay. If not, well…." Latimer trailed off.

"Of course, Sir." I said and backed out of his study and went to find the kitchen to start preparing for dinner.

* * *

I finished setting the dining room table by setting down the bowl of lasagna. I knew that Victorian London didn't have that many food choices, so I decided to add some of the present day ones. There was lasagna, bread and butter, salad, dressing, and a rare red wine in a small basket of ice.

The children came in first.

"Are you the new cook?" The boy, Digby, asked. He stared up at me with an inquisitive expression on his face.

I nodded my head. "Yes, Mister. I am Mrs. Harkness."

Digby nodded and took a look at the food on the table. "What is that?" Digby pointed to the bowl of lasagna.

"Lasagna." I replied. "A personal favorite of mine."

"I've never heard of it." Francesca, the girl, said, staring curiously at the dish.

"You wouldn't have. I invented it." I lied, smiling at the girl.

Francesca's eyes widened as she stared up at me. "Really?"

I smiled warmly at her. "Really." I replied. "I better go back to my domain and get the desert ready." I said and turned around and walked out of the room.

Before I left, I heard Digby ask, "Desert?"

* * *

As I finished washing the dishes, I heard the sounds of screaming. Clara! Digby and Francesca! I threw down my rag on the counter and ran to the Entrance hall and almost collided with Captain Latimer as he was talking to The Doctor, Jack and Amelia, asking them how they got in the house.

"Jack!" I said, excitedly. I ran up to him an we kissed.

"Remind me again why you had to go off and get a job if it was only going to be for a day?" Jack asked me.

"I wanted something to do?" I stated/asked.

"It's okay. I am your governess' gentleman friend, and we've just been upstairs kissing!" The Doctor said. I sighed.

"Captain Latimer. In the garden, there's snowmen! And they're just growing out of nowhere, all by themselves. Look!" Alice runs to answer the front door.

"Good evening. I'm a Lizard Woman from the Dawn of Time, and this is my wife." Vastra said, not so subtle.

Alice screams and runs back into Strax. "This dwelling is under attack. Remain calm, human scum."

Alice screams and faints.

The Doctor looks at Latimer. "So, any questions?"

Latimer turned to Clara. "You have a gentleman friend?"

The Doctor walked up to Vastra. "Vastra, what's happening?"

"The snow is highly localized, and on this occasion not naturally occurring."

"It's coming out of that cab parked by the gates." Jenny said.

Strax spoke up, "Sir, one pulver grenade would blow these snowmen to smithereens."

"They're made of snow, Strax. They're already smithereens. See, Clara? Our friends again." The Doctor said.

"Clara? Who's Clara?" Latimer asked, feeling really confused.

"Your current governess is, in reality, a former barmaid called Clara." The Doctor explained.

The ice governess appeared on the landing half way up the stairs. "That's the way to do it!"

"Meanwhile your previous governess is now a living ice sculpture impersonating Mister Punch. Jenny, what have you got?" The Doctor asked.

Jenny throws a little ball that creates a forcefield at the top of the stairs. "That should hold it." Jenny said.

Strax came back from scouting out the rooms on this floor. "Sir, this room. One observational window on the line of attack and one defendable entrance."

The Doctor nodded. "Right, everyone in there. Now. Move it. You, carry her." The Doctor said to Latimer.

"Nice to see you off your cloud and engaging again." Vastra said, walking by The Doctor.

The Doctor glared at Vasta. "I'm not engaging again, I'm under attack."

Vastra stopped and turned around to look at The Doctor. "You missed this, didn't you?"

The governess batters against the force field. "Shut up." The Doctor said as we made our way into the study.

"Strax, how long have we got?" Jack asked Strax as Lia went to stand next to Clara.

"They're not going to attack. They made no attempt to conceal their arrival. An attack force would never abandon surprise so easily, and they're clearly in a defence formation." Strax replid.

"Way, aye, aye. Well done, Straxie. Still got it, buddy." The Doctor says and kisses the Sontaran on the top of the head.

"Sir, please do not noogie me during combat prep." Strax says, embarrassed.

"So there's something here they want." I said.

"The ice woman." Clara put in.

The Doctor snaps his fingers. " Exactly."

"Why's she so important?" Lia asked.

"Because she's a perfect duplication of human DNA in ice crystal form. The ultimate fusion of snow and humanity. To live here, the snow needs to evolve and she's the blueprint. She's what they need to become. When the snow melted last night, did the pond?"

Clara shook her head. "No."

"Living ice that will never melt. If the snow gets hold of that creature on the stairs, it will learn to make more of them. It will build an army of ice. And it will be the last day of humanity on this planet." The Doctor said. The doorbell rings. "Stay here." And The Doctor walks out of the room.


	12. The Snowmen- Part 2

**The Snowmen- Part 2**

"Jack, keep an eye on Lia and stay here." I said as Clara left the room, intending on following them.

"Susan." Jack cautioned.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine." I said and went out of the room and closed the door in time to see the end of Clara and The Doctor's kiss.

"You kissed me." The Doctor said, shocked.

"You blushed. And we just. Shut up." Clara said.

The Doctor opens the front door and I stood next to The Doctor while Clara stood a couple feet behind me.

"Release her to us. You have five minutes." Simeon turns away and the Doctor closes the door.

"We need to get her out of here but keep her away from them." The Doctor said.

"How?" Clara asked.

The Doctor takes an umbrella from the stand. "With this. Do I always have to state the obvious?"

"Those creatures outside, what are they?" Latimer asked, having left the room.

"No danger to you, as long as I get that thing out of here. You, in there, now." Latimer leaves and goes back into that room.

The Doctor up the stairs and sonicks the forcefield.

"What are you doing?" Clara asked as Clara and I stood behind The Doctor.

"Between you and me, I can't wait to find out." The forcefield turns off then reforms behind him and Clara. "Right, if you look after everyone here, then I can. Clara!"

"Doctor." Clara says as we ducked under the Governesses arms and ran up the stairs.

"That was stupid." The Doctor said.

"You were stupid, too." Clara pointed out.

"I'm allowed. I'm good at stupid." The Doctor said.

"Yes you are." I agreed.

"Oi!" The Doctor yelled.

"That's the way to do it!" The Governess said.

"Why does she keep saying that?" Clara asked.

"Mirroring. Random mirroring." I said.

The Doctor nodded at me. "We need to get on the roof."

"This way!" Clara said and grabbed The Doctor's hand, pulling him up the stairs. I followed behind, laughing.

"No, I do the hand grabbing. That's my job. That's always me!" The Doctor complained.

The Doctor climbs through the window onto the square roof and I go in after. Clara tries to follow.

"Come on, quickly! What are you doing?" The Doctor asked.

"My bustle is stuck." Clara groaned.

"Your bustle?" The Doctor pulls Clara through the window. She lands on top of him.

"You're going to have to take those clothes off…. I didn't mean." The Doctor studders as I laughed.

"I know. I understand, I do." Clara said as I helped her up.

"Good."

"Now, what's the plan?"

"Who said I've got a plan?" The Doctor asked.

"Course you've got a plan. You took that." Clara pointed out.

"Maybe I'm an idiot."

"You're not. You're clever. Really clever."

"Are you?" Clara asked.

The Doctor throws Clara the umbrella. "If I've got a plan, what is it? You tell me." The Doctor says.

"That's the way to do it!" The Governess repeated. She was closer now.

"Is this a test?" Clara asked.

"Yes."

"What will it do to us?"

"Kill us."

"That's the way to do it!" The Governess turns to snow to get through the window.

"So, come on then. Plan. Do I have one?" The Doctor said. "Don't answer, Susan. This one's her's."

"Oh, I know what your plan is. I knew straight away." Clara said.

"No, you didn't."

"Course I did."

"Show me."

"Why should I?"

The Doctor looked at Clara pointedly. "Because we'll be dead in under thirty seconds. Do I have a plan?"

"If we'd been escaping, we'd be climbing down the building. If we'd been hiding, we'd be on the other side of the roof. But no, we're standing right here."

"So?"

"So!" Clara reaches up with the umbrella and pulls the ladder down. The Governess is reforming on the roof. "After you."

"After you."

Clara raised her eyebrows. "After you, I'm wearing a dress. Eyes front, soldier!"

The Doctor grinned. "My eyes are always front!" He said as The Doctor climbed up the later. I went second.

"Mine aren't." Clara smirked.

"Stop it."

"No." The Governess has completely reformed. I understand you're the previous governess. I regret to inform you the position is taken. Goodnight." Clara taps the ladder, steps onto it and is raised into the air.

* * *

We were running up the staircase. "So you can move your cloud? You can control it?" Clara asked.

"No. No one can control clouds, that would be silly. The wind, a little bit."

The staircase shook, as if someone else was on it. "She's following us." I said.

"That's the idea. Keep her away from the snow. So. Barmaid or governess, which is it?" The Doctor asked Clara.

"That thing is after us, and you want a chat?"

"Well, we can't chat after we've been horribly killed, can we?" The Doctor asked.

Clara looked down to see Victorian London far beneath us. "How did we get up so high so quick?"

"Clever staircase. It's taller on the inside." I replied.

"What am I standing on, what's this made of?" Clara asked as we walked on the cloud to the Tardis.

I took out my sonic and sonicked the entrance to the staircase. Clouds covered it "Super dense water vapour. Should keep her trapped for the moment." I said.

"Do you actually live up here on a cloud, in a box?" Clara asked.

"I have done for a long time now." The Doctor said, his tone quieter.

"Blimey, you really know how to sulk, don't you?" Clara responded, smirking.

"I'm not sulking." The Doctor argued.

Clara raised her eyebrows. "You live in a box!"

"That's no more a box than you are a governess."

"Oh, spoken like a man. You know, you're the same as all the rest. Sweet little Clara, works at the Rose And Crown, ideas above her station."

The Taris lights are off. _Big Reveal?_ I asked The Doctor playfully and telepathically. The Doctor didn't reply.

"Well, for your information, I'm not sweet on the inside, and I'm certainly not-" Clara stops as The Doctor turns on the Tardis light by snapping his fingers. He's been redecorating. A classic six sided free-standing console with time rotor. He turns around to see Clara gaping in shock.

"Little." Clara finishes in shock.

"It's called the Tardis. It can travel anywhere in time and space. And it's mine." The Doctor said.

"But it's. Look at it, it's-"

"Go on, say it. Most people do." The Doctor said, smugly. Clara does the traditional circuit of the outside.

"Are you so sure she will say it?" I asked.

Clara returns. "It's smaller on the outside."

The Doctor frowns. "Okay, that is a first."

"Is it magic? Is it a machine?" Clara asked.

"It's a ship." I said.

"A ship?"

"Best ship in the universe."

Clara looks around. "Is there a kitchen?"

"Another first." I said.

"I don't know why I asked that. It's just, I like making soufflés." Clara said. I tensed.

The Doctor froze. "Soufflés?"

"Why are you showing me all this?" Clara asked, still looking around the ship, but hasn't moved from the spot she stopped at.

"You followed me, remember? I didn't invite you."

"You're nearly a foot taller than I am. You could've reached the ladder without this. You took it for me. Why?" She throws the umbrella to him.

"I never know why. I only know who." The Doctor holds up a key, then puts it in Clara's hand.

"Doctor." I said, sharply. The Doctor didn't acknowledge me.

Clara stared at the key. "What's this?"

"Me. Giving in."

Clara wipes tears from her eyes. "I don't know why I'm crying."

"I do. Remember this. This right now, remember all of it. Because this is the day. This is the day. This is the day everything begins." But as he starts to crank up the console, the Governess grabs Clara from behind and drags her outside. Clara drops the key. I closed my eyes and gripped the counsel until my knuckles turned white.

"Clara! Clara!" The Doctor runs after her while I stayed in the Tardis. He's going to hate me again. I thought. After a few painful seconds, I heard, "NO!"

I open my eyes just in time to see The Doctor run back inside, never giving me a second thought and started up the Tardis. A few seconds later, Clara appeared on the floor.

* * *

The Doctor was scanning the ice fragments that were around clara While I paced around the Tardis. Jack and Lia were in the study, watching over Clara.

"Isn't the creature still a danger? It could reform." Vastra said as she walked into the Tardis, giving me a brief nod. The Doctor didn't look up.

"No, not in here." The Doctor replied shortly.

"Then you should be with Miss Clara."

"She's going to be fine. I know she is. She has to be."

"Doctor, her injuries are severe. That equipment will bring back anyone for a while, but long term."

"It was my fault. I am responsible for what happened to Clara. She was in my care."

Vastra sighed. "What is the point of blaming yourself?"

"None. Because she's going to live." The Doctor said.

The Doctor hands a London Underground souvenir lunchbox to Jenny. It rattles. Then he goes over to Clara. "Hey. Hello." The Doctor said gently to Clara as she opened her eyes.

"They all think I'm going to die, don't they?" Clara said softly.

"And I know you're going to live." The Doctor told her.

"How?"

"I never know how. I just know who." The Doctor said. He gives her the key again and kisses her hand.

"Mrs. Harkness." Clara breathed. "She said you were the saver of worlds once. Are you going to save this one?"

"If I do, will you come away with me?"

"Yes."

"Well then. Merry Christmas." He straightens his bow tie, takes back the lunch box and walks out of the room. Then he comes back into the room and The Doctor, Vastra, Jack and I piled into the Tardis.

As Lia was about to enter, I put my hand up. "No, Lia. Stay here."

"But-"

"Protect them." I said, then entered the Tardis and closed the door behind me.

"So then, Doctor, saving the world again? Might I ask why? Are you making a bargain with the universe? You'll save the world to let her live?" Vastra asked.

"Yes. And don't you think, after all this time and everything I've ever done, that I am owed this one?" The Doctor asked Vastra.

"I don't think the universe makes bargains."

"It was my fault." The Doctor said.

"Well then. Better save the world."

* * *

The Doctor, Vastra, Jack and I are waiting in the institute when Simeon enters the room. I had left my coat in the Tardis, I didn't want to restrict my movements.

"You promised us something. Have you brought it?" Simeon asked.

"Big fella here's been very quiet while you've been out. Which is only to be expected, considering who he really is. Do you know what this is, big fella?" The Doctor holds up the lunch box.

"I do not understand these markings." Simeon said.

"A map of the London Underground, 1967. Key strategic weakness in metropolitan living, if you ask me, but then I have never liked a tunnel." I said.

"Enough of this. We are powerful, but on this planet we are limited. We need to learn to take human form." A voice from the big globe with snow in it said. The Doctor uses the sonic screwdriver, and the Snowman's voice rises in pitch. "The Governess is our most perfect replication of humanity."

"What's happening to its voice?" Jack asked.

"Just stripping away the disguise." The Doctor answered.

"No, stop! Stop that. Cease, I command you!" The child's voice said.

"It sounds like a child." Vastra gasped.

"Of course it sounds like a child. It is a child." The Doctor said, "Simeon as a child. The snow has no voice without him."

"Don't listen to him, he's ruining everything!"

"How long has the Intelligence been talking to you?" The Doctor asked.

"I was a little boy. He was my snowman. He spoke to me." Simeon said in a child's voice.

I raised an eyebrow. "But the snow doesn't talk, does it. It's just a mirror."

The Doctor nodded. "It just reflects back everything we think and feel and fear. You poured your darkest dreams into a snowman and look, look what it became."

"I don't understand." Vastra said.

"It's a parasite feeding on the loneliness of a child and the sickness of an old man. Carnivorous snow meets Victorian values and something terrible is born." The Doctor said.

"We can go on and do everything we planned." The Snowman said.

"Oh yes, and what a plan. A world full of living ice people. Oh dear me, how very Victorian of you." The Doctor glared at him.

"What's wrong with Victorian values?" Simeon grabs the lunch box and opens it.

"Ah, ah, ah. Are you sure?" The Doctor asked.

Simeon straightened up. "I have always been sure." The memory worm in the box bites him.

"Good. I'm glad you think so, since your entire adult life is about to be erased. No parasite without a host. Without you, it will have no voice. Without the governess, it will have no form." The Doctor said.

"What, what, what's happening? What's happening? What did you do?" The Snowman yelled.

"You've got nothing left to mirror any more. Goodbye." The Doctor turned around to leave.

"What did you, did you." The snow suddenly fills the globe and its voice deepens again. "Did you really think it would be so easy?"

The Doctor spun around. "That's not possible. How is that possible?"

"Doctor?" Jack asked.

"But you were just Doctor Simeon. You're not real. He dreamed you. How can you still exist?" Jack asked.

"Now the dream outlives the dreamer and can never die. Once I was the puppet." The Snowman said. Simeon is now an icy ghoul. "Now I pull the strings! I tried so long to take on human form. By erasing Simeon, you made space for me. I fill him now."

Simeon takes out a gun from his pocket and fired a few shots in our direction. Vastra blocks a couple with her sword. As Simeon knocks Vastra aside and grabs the Doctor, I felt a pain in my gut. I looked down and saw that Vastra had missed one bullet.

"More than snow, more than Simeon. Even this old body is strong in my control!" The Snowman road.

"Argh!" The Doctor yelled in pain. I had a good idea how he was feeling as I struggled to keep myself upright.

As Jack made a move toward The Doctor, I breathed, "Jack?"

Jack turned around and he paled as he saw the blood seeping through my blue shirt and he ran back to me as I collapsed on the floor, feeling pain pulse through my stomach. I found I had trouble breathing.

"Do you feel it? Winter is coming!" Simeon's touch starts to freeze the Doctor's skin.

"Argh!"

"Winter is coming!" The Snowman yelled.

The snow globe is suddenly filled with melt water. Simeon leaps off the Doctor. "What's happening?" The Snowman yelled.

Vastra, getting up, says, "Doctor, the globe. It's turning to rain. All of it, the snow, look." Simeon dies. "He's dead. What happened?"

"The snow mirrors, that's all it does. It's mirroring something else now. Something so strong, it's drowning everything else." The Doctor opens a window and holds out his hand. "There was a critical mass of snow at the house. If something happened there-" Vastra and The Doctor both taste the rain.

The sounds in the room dimmed and I could barely hear anyone besides Jack. My vision and sound faded in and out. It was just a bullet. I couldn't regenerate from a tiny bullet.

"...salty. ...'in." Vastra's far-away voice said.

"...not raining. ...force on Earth... ...drown... ...crying... ...Eve." The Doctor said in the same far-away voice.

"Doctor! If you could stop talking for a minute, Susan's been shot. Vastra didn't block every one." Jack yelled right next to my ear.

I winced at the intensity of his voice. _Not so loud._ I complained through our bond.

 _Susan, I wasn't yelling._ Came Jack's reply.

The Doctor froze then turned around to see me on the floor with Jack besides me, his hand over my wound, trying to slow the bleeding.

"Susan!" The Doctor cried, running over. Vastra stayed by the window. Jack took his hand off to let The Doctor inspect the wound. The Doctor then looked at Jack and shook his head. As he did, I could feel a regeneration coming on.

"No! No no no no no!" Jack cried as the yellow glow started.

"Jack, help me up." I whispered.

Jack and The Doctor both got me to a standing point. I looked at Jack. "I'm so sorry." I said. Everything hurt as I tried to delay the regeneration a bit longer. "I love you."

"Susan." The Doctor said and I turned toward him. "I'm… I'm sorry I got angry at you for their deaths. It wasn't your fault. You weren't even there. It was wrong of me."

I smiled sadly. "Thank you... Doctor." And I cried out as the force of regeneration energy was stronger and brighter than before shot out of my hands. My vision darkened as I slowly came out of my regeneration and collapsed, unconscious.

* * *

 ** _Thank you to my Favorite:_** _finalhour300_

 ** _Thank you to my Follower:_** _finalhour300_


	13. The Bells of Saint John- Part 1

**A/N: Susan now looks a bit like Kate Bosworth. Susan's third body's theme song is Stormkeeper (Battlecry) from Two Steps From Hell.**

* * *

 **The Bells of Saint John- Part 1**

 _ **Drax Three- February 26th, 2041**_

It was rather awkward going back to our home on Drax. We put the story out that Susan Jane Harkness had died tragically in a shuttle crash. The blond and stormy grey eyed, six foot tall, woman who returned was Jack Harkness's cousin, Victoria Harkness.

Only Jessica, Amelia's babysitter and head of the staff, knew that Victoria really was Susan.

I sighed as I looked into the mirror in our bedroom. It had been two months since _The Snowman_ and I still hadn't gotten used to this new body. I had blond wavy hair that went just past my shoulders and blue eyes. On top of being blond, I was bloody tall! Six feet, three inches to be precise.

I had also recognized a change in personality. I was more… open, let's say. Once and awhile I would let things slip which led to a long discussion to Lia about the 'curse', as I put it, on the Doctor's companion, seeing as almost all of The Doctor's companions ended in tragedy.

And worse of all, I was damn clumsy. I would stumble and knock things over, plates and glasses would slip from my hands and shatter on the floor. It was bloody annoying! I already had Jessica go out for another silverware set three weeks after we had gotten back.

Today I was wearing slim dark jeans, a white blouse and a black jean jacket over top of that. I also was wearing black flats.

"Su- Victoria!" Came Jack's call from downstairs. I shook my head at Jack's slip-up. "Come down for a minute, would you?"

I finished my hair by placing a small silver hair band on the top of my head and called, "Be right there, Jack!" I grabbed my small black purse, turned off the lights and made my way downstairs. "Yes, Jack, what is-"

What I saw in the kitchen made me stop in my tracks. The Tardis was in the middle of the room with The Doctor wearing a monk's robe. I coughed. "Doctor, why are you wearing that?"

"I found her!"

"Who?" Jack asked, crossing his arms, quite amused by this whole situation.

"Clara! Clara Oswin Oswald!"

I sighed as Lia stood up from the kitchen table. "But she died." Lia said bluntly.

"I know!" The Doctor, "It's impossible! Do you want to help me solve it?"

I looked at Lia and Lia said, "A person who should be dead in 1892 and she turns up… were, exactly?"

"2013." The Doctor answered excitedly.

"Well, I definitely want to know the answer." Lia said, walking around the table to stand next to the Doctor.

I looked at Jack. "Jack? Do you want to go back to Earth?"

Jack took a deep breath. "Of course I do. We will have to explain to Torchwood and Unit that you've changed again, though."

I shrugged. "Totally cool."

* * *

 _ **Outside the Maitland Home, 2013**_

The Doctor has gotten rid of his monk outfit and settled for black pants, a white shirt and a purple knee length coat with a black bow tie. I had on a light blue high waisted skirt that just barely skimmed my knees along with a white top and black, one inch shoes. Jack had on his World War Two outfit and Lia had on dark jeans and a grey shirt.

The Doctor ran up to the Maitland home, forgetting to close the Tardis door in his excitement, which I closed with a sigh. "Best wait by the Tardis, Jack, Lia. We don't want to startle Clara by all of us at the door."

We watched the Doctor knock on the door again and talk to the video call to inside the house. "Ah, see? Look, it's me. De-monked. Sensible clothes. Can I come in now?"

"I don't understand." I heard Clara answer.

"You just open the door." The Doctor replied.

"Damn, I forgot about this part." I muttered and ran to the door. "Doctor, that won't work." I said, getting out my sonic pen and unlocking the door.

"What do you mean, stop!" The Doctor said. "You're breaking into the house!"

"Where I am. I don't know where I am. Where am I? Please tell me where I am. I don't know where I am." Clara finished.

The Doctor and I glanced at each other and I flung open the door and we rushed inside, Jack and Amelia running from the Tardis. We entered the home to find Clara unconscious on the floor and the little girl by the stairs froze. Lia gasped behind me.

"I don't know where I am. I don't know where I am!" Clara's voice said.

"Clara? Clara?" I asked, kneeling beside her.

"I don't know where I am. I don't know where I am. I don't understand. I don't know where I am! I don't understand. I don't know where I am." Clara stands up and I can see Clara visible in the spoonheads dish. I stood up slowly. "Where am I? I don't know where I am."

The Doctor and I raise our sonic screwdrivers and the girl by the stairs turns into a metal robot. "Walking base station. Walking wifi base station. Hoovering up data. Hoovering up people." The Doctor thought outloud.

"Doctor, I can un-download her, but I will need a computer or laptop." I told him.

The Doctor runs up stairs and returns shortly with a laptop, handing it to me. I sat down on the floor and began to type viciously. "Oh, no you don't." I muttered to myself as Clara began to download faster. I started to type faster.

"What's happening?" I heard Lia ask Jack.

"Someone is trying to download Clara's mind. You're Mum's fighting them." Jack responded quietly.

"Through a _laptop_?"

"Shut up! Trying to concentrate." I said through my clenched teeth, not taking my eyes off the screen in front of me.

"Not this time, Clara, I promise." The Doctor mutters softly to Clara.

A stream of energy from the mobile base station goes into Clara's head and she wakes up briefly, wavering a bit and collapsing to the floor, the Doctor catching her. "Okay. It's okay, it's okay. You're fine. You're back. Yes, you are. Oh yes, you are."

As the Doctor sets Clara in her bed, I said to Jack, "We have to warn Torchwood, UNIT, and Terra Firma. People have to know not to click on that type of Wifi."

The Doctor came down the stairs. "We have some time before Clara wakes up. We need to warn people not to click on that Wifi."

"That's what I was just saying. It would do some good for Terra Firma to warn people as well. I'm not sure about the support that it has from the civilians, but if they don't warn them, the other governments will wonder why we have Terra Firma at all."

"Then it's settled. You and Jack can start warning the different groups. Lia, why don't you stay with me?" The Doctor said, looking between Lia and me. Lia turned to me with a hopeful face.

I said telepathically to Jack, _Should I?_

 _Sure, unless something happens between now and Clara being woken up._ Jack said telepathically back to me.

 _Nothing happens when Clara is asleep. When she wakes up is a different matter entirely, but it's dark by then, so we have some time._ I swallowed. "Yes, you may stay with The Doctor." Lia gasped and started to smile. "Make sure to do whatever he says." Lia nodded excitedly. I turned to The Doctor. "You better not lead her into danger without contacting me first."

* * *

 _ **Torchwood Headquarters, 2013**_

Jack and I used our vortex manipulator to appear just outside the Torchwood gates. "I'll never get used to not working in that underground hub." Jack said as we walked up to the security window.

"Definitely." I remarked. I stumbled a bit, grabbing onto Jack's arm to steady myself. "Come on!" I groaned.

Jack laughed and smirked. "Still having problems walking?" I glared at Jack but before I could retort, Jack knocked on the window.

The window slid open and a droaning voice said, "Welcome to Torchwood Headquarters, do you have an appointment?"

"Well, considering I used to run it, I figured I could just walk in any time." Jack said in a light tone.

"Wha- Oh, Mr. Harkness! It's- er, it's a pleasure to meet you." The man said. "I'm guessing you would like to see the main team?"

Jack gave him a smile. "Yes, of course, it rather is an emergency."

"And who is with you? I'm sorry Mr. Harkness, but it's the protocol." The man said as Jack gave him a disappointed glare.

"Actually, this is Susan Harkness, my wife." Jack said, putting an arm around me and drawing me next to his side. I tripped, but managed to keep standing. I inwardly sighed.

"Um, I've seen pictures of Mrs. Harkness, you ain't her." The man said in a suspicious tone.

I rolled my eyes. "Don't you know Time Ladies can regenerate?"

The man's eyes widened. "I-I'm s-sorry ma'am. I'll inform Mrs. Cooper at once of your arrival." He pressed a couple buttons and the gates slid open.

"Thank you, er-?" Jack asked.

"Robert Coate. Security." Robert said.

"Thank you, Mr. Coate." I said, with a small nod. Jack walked through the gates to Torchwood Headquarters.

* * *

 _ **Torchwood Headquarters, Meeting Room A**_

"So, let me get this straight." Tosh said. "A company that is based in The Shard is downloading people's mind through _the internet_?"

It had taken us at least an hour to explain what was going on with the wifi and how I had regenerated. We were currently in Team Alpha's meeting room. I was sipping a hot coco, sitting on Jack's lap while Rex paced along one side of the room. Gwen was rubbing her forehead. Esther had a look of horror on her face. Vera was leaning against the wall, expressionless. Ianto was leaning back in his chair, arms crossed, clearly thinking about something and Owen was staring off into space.

"Okay, so we get Terra Firma to put out a world wide warning. Do what we did to announce Terra Firma, commandeer all the television programs for five minutes." Esther said.

"Yeah, but we don't want to alert whoever is controlling the business in The Shard to know we are onto them." Ianto put in. "It does end with everyone being downloaded back into their bodies as if nothing happened, right?"

"Yes." I said, "They should be downloaded back into their original bodies."

Gwen stared at me, "Should?"

I rolled my eyes, "Well, many variables have changed. Like the fact that Torchwood and UNIT are public and watching for alien invasions or plots, Terra Firma is in place and the fact that I am present. Though I doubt those changes would stop The Doctor from saving those people." I added as I saw Gwen's eyes narrow.

Gwen sighed and leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temple, "We have a duty to warn the public. If we keep silent about this, how long until the truth comes out? We already have people who don't trust us because they think we are keeping secrets. They would be right. We should tell them something."

"Like what? Not to click on strange wifi's?" Esther said, "People won't listen to that. They will do anything to be online. They will need a reason. We can't give them one unless we want Ms. Kislet to know we know what they are doing."

"Then how do you propose we warn the public?" Jack asked, finally speaking.

"We don't." I said, everyone looked at me, confused, "As I said before, everyone is downloaded back into their bodies. We retcon everyone of this experience at the same time. There will be no mention of this… episode on any documents in Torchwood. This conversation never happened."

"And how will we do that?" Ianto asked.

 _We shouldn't have involved them._ I thought to Jack, _Last time we met, he killed me **.**_ I didn't have to explain who _he_ was. _I'm not putting any of them in danger. Take out your sunglasses The Doctor gave us on my que._

I gave a small smile and put on sunglasses that The Doctor had given me and stood up. Jack did the same, "I'm sorry." I said, I pointed my sonic pen at the black device that had lowered itself from the ceiling, which I had put in for cases like these.

"No, no, WAIT!" Gwen yelled, standing up.

I swallowed and pressed the button to erase an hours worth of memory from everyone in the room, there was a blinding flash followed by thuds as my friends fell to the floor or slumped in their chairs, unconscious.

I looked down around the meeting room at the unconscious bodies of the original Torchwood team. I looked at Jack and took off my sunglasses, folded them and put them back into my jean jacket pocket along with my sonic pen, tears forming, "How did I become like this?" I asked my husband quietly.

* * *

 _ **The Maitland Home**_

When Jack and I drive Torchwood Three, a black SUV, back to the Maitland home to find The Doctor and Amelia Rose sitting outside, with the Tardis next to them and the lamp light making it light enough to do work.

Lia jumped up right away, practically running over to us. "Guess what?" Before we had time to even open our mouths, Lia continued, "We built a quadricycle!"

Jack smiled, "That's wonderful!"

The Doctor glanced up from his tinkering, "Told you she's still safe."

I rolled my eyes, "I can see that, Doctor."

"Hello?" We all look up to see Clara leaning out her bedroom window.

"Hello! Are you alright?" Lia called up to Clara.

"I'm in bed." Clara said, confused.

The Doctor nodded. "Yes."

"Don't remember going."

"No." The Doctor responded.

"What did I miss?"

The Doctor took out a small notebook, "Oh, quite a lot, actually. Angie called. She's going to stay over at Nina's. Apparently that's all completely fine and you shouldn't worry like you always do. For god's sake get off her back. Also, your dad phoned, mainly about the government. He seems very cross with them, I've got several pages on that. I said I'd look into it. Lia and I fixed that rattling noise in the washing machine, indexed the kitchen cupboards, optimised photosynthesis in the main flower bed and assembled a quadricycle."

"Assembled a what?" Clara asked.

The Doctor rolled his eyes, "I found a disassembled quadricycle in the garage."

Clara eyed The Doctor, "I don't think you did."

The Doctor smiled widely, "I invented the quadricycle. Ha!"

Lia hit The Doctor in the arm, hissing, "WE invented the quadricycle."

The Doctor cleared his throat. "Right. Lia and I invented the quadricycle."

"What happened to me?"

The Doctor put away his notebook, "Don't you remember?"

"I was scared, really scared. Didn't know where I was."

"Do you know now?"

"Yes."

The Doctor waved his arm at Clara. "Well then, you should go to sleep. Because you're safe now, I promise. Goodnight, Clara."

"Are you guarding me? All of you?"

The Doctor looked confused then smiled, "Well, yes. Yes, we are."

Clara stared at The Doctor, "Are you seriously going to sit down there all night?"

The Doctor sat back down in the lawnchair, "I promise I won't budge from this spot."

"Well then, I'll have to come to you." Clara said, disappearing from the window.

"Eh?" The Doctor asked.

Clara brings a chair out for herself and three mugs. "Sorry, I couldn't carry more than three." Clara said to Jack and I.

I smiled, "Don't worry about it, Clara."

"There's two more chairs leaning up against the Tardis for you guys." The Doctor said. Jack went and got them, setting them up while The Doctor started talking to Clara, "I like your house."

I sat down in a chair while Jack sat down in the one next to me, "It isn't mine. I'm a friend of the family." Clara said, taking a sip of the hot chocolate.

"But you look after the kids. Oh yes, you're a governess, aren't you, just like-" The Doctor stops talking abruptly.

Clara looked confused, "Just like what?"

"Just like. I thought you probably would be."

"Are you going to explain what happened to me?" Clara asked. "Are any of you?"

"There's something in the wifi." Lia said, then looked to The Doctor to continue.

"Okay." Clara said, not believing it.

The Doctor sighed, "This whole world is swimming in wifi. We're living in a wifi soup. Suppose something got inside it. Suppose there was something living in the wifi, harvesting human minds. Extracting them. Imagine that. Human souls trapped like flies in the world-wide web. Stuck forever, crying out for help."

"Isn't that basically Twitter?" Clara asked. The Doctor picks up her laptop and puts it on his lap. He then clicks on her wifi list. All the sets of symbols pop up. "What's that face for?

"A computer can hack another computer. A living, sentient computer, maybe that could hack people. Edit them. Re-write them." The Doctor explained.

"Why would you say that?"

I sighed, "Because a few hours ago you knew nothing about the internet, and you just made a joke about Twitter."

* * *

 _ **Review:**_

 _alwaystherereading:_ LOL


	14. The Bells of Saint John- Part 2

**The Bells of Saint John- Part 2**

Clara's eyes widened, "Oh. Oh, that's weird. I know all about computers now in my head. Where did all that come from?"

"You were uploaded for a while. Wherever you were, you brought something extra back, which I very much doubt you'll be allowed to keep."

"All of you and me, inside that box, now. " The Doctor said standing up and putting Clara's laptop on the short table in front of him. I sniggered.

Clara stood up and looked at The Doctor like he was insane,"I'm sorry?"

The Doctor sighed. "Look, just get inside." Jack, Amelia and I stood up and began to make our way to the Tardis.

"Both of us?"

"Oh, trust me. You'll understand once we're in there." The Doctor said, reaching out for Clara's arm.

Clara snatched her arm away and took a step back, "I bet I will. What is that box, anyway? Why have you got a box? Is it like a snogging booth?"

The Doctor stopped and stared at Clara. "Clara. A what?"

"Is that what you do, bring a booth? There is such a thing as too keen." Clara snapped. Bedroom lights start to go on in the street. Jack and I noticed but Lia was still watching the conversation happening with Clara and The Doctor.

"Clara, look around you." I said.

Finally Clara and Lia started to notice what was happening with the lights, "What's going on? What's happening? Is the wifi switching on the lights?"

"No, people are switching on the lights." Jack said, "The wifi is switching on the people." The head on the man across the road turns around.

Clara gasps, "What is that thing?"

"A walking base station." I said to Clara, "You saw one earlier."

Clara shakes her head, "I saw a little girl."

"It must have taken an image from your subconscious, thrown it back at you. Ah! Active camouflage. They could be everywhere." The Doctor said.

"Doctor? Doctor." Clara asked, frightened as the lights behind the house are going out, "What's going on? Our lights are on and everyone else's off. Why?"

There is a distant droning sound that gets louder and louder.

"Some planes have wifi." Jack said and I could hear a hint of horror in his voice.

Lia's eyes widened, "Shit." She breathed. At this moment, I didn't bother reprimanding her for her language.

"I'm sorry?"

"We must be one hell of a target right now." I got out.

Lights appear in the sky, approaching rapidly. "We're going in that box, right now." The Doctor ordered, dragging Clara into the Tardis, followed by Jack, Lia and I, after I had grabbed Clara's laptop. I knew how planes worked and knew that if you pulled back on the controls would do nothing. The wifi had hijacked the plane. None of the controls would respond unless someone else re-hacked into the plane to change it's course.

Clara stood, almost spinning in circles, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open. "Yes, it's a spaceship. Yes, it's bigger on the inside. Now, I don't have time to talk about it." The Doctor said.

"But, but, but, but it's-" Clara tried to speak.

The Doctor ran to the console and began fiddling with the buttons and knobs, "Shut up, please. Short hops are difficult." I ran to help The Doctor fly the Tardis.

Clara, still in her stunned mode,"Bigger on the inside. Actually bigger."

"Right, come on." The Doctor said, running back to the door, Clara following.

"We're going to go back out there?" Clara practically yelled in frustration.

The Doctor turned to Clara and put his hands on Clara's shoulders, "We've moved. It's a spaceship. We flew away."

"Away from the plane?" Clara asked.

The Doctor winced, "Not exactly." Then opened the doors to reveal the inside of a plane.

"Lia, stay inside the Tardis. Jack, look after her." I said, running after The Doctor and clara.

"Not fair!" I heard Lia yell after me.

"How did we get here?" Clara said, still holding her forgotten cup of hot chocolate.

The Doctor rolled his eyes, "It's a ship. I told you. It's all very sciency." We were still running toward the cockpit.

"This is the plane? The actual plane? Are they all dead?" Clara said, looking at the unconscious passengers.

The Doctor takes out his sonic screwdriver, "Asleep. Switched off by the wifi. Never mind them." The Doctor sonicked his way into the cockpit. I had sat myself down and was currently hacking into the planes system and fighting the people who had control over the plane. Fiddling with the controls of the cockpit was no uses if the plane was being hijacked from the across the wifi.

"What is going on? Is this real? Please, tell me what is happening!"

"I'm the Doctor, this is Susan Harkness. We're aliens from outer space. I'm a thousand years old, she's thirty-nine, still a time-tot according to the lifespan of my species. We've got two hearts and I can't fly a plane! Can you?" The Doctor yelled.

"No." Clara says in an 'are-you-kidding-me-right-now' tone.

"I can." I said, from my position on the the floor, not looking up from the laptop screen. The Doctor stares at me, "Had to learn for Torchwood."

"Torchwood?!" Clara yelped, immediately knowing what my job was because of the Queen revealing aliens about a year ago and creating Earth's first governmental body specifically built for dealing with aliens and outer space, "Do you mean THE Torchwood?"

"Not now Clara." I said sharply.

"What the hell are you doing?" The Doctor asked/yelled at me.

"Pulling back on the yoke won't work if the cockpit controls have been hacked into. Right now, I'm hacking into the encrypted transmission protocols while locking out the wifi. Then I have to return the power of the controls back to the cockpit and _then_ you can pull back on the yoke, that is the steering system for the airplane."

"What?" Clara asked in a shocked and panicked voice.

"And, done." I exclaimed, scrambling up and making for the cockpit, pushing The Doctor and Clara aside. I grabbed onto the yoke and pulled back, skimming over the rooftops and back up into the air, then I leveled off, moving the yoke back into it's normal position. "And that, is how you _correctly_ get out of that situation."

The passengers and pilots began to wake up, "What the hell's going on?" The pilot exclaimed seeing three, supposedly passengers, in the cockpit area.

"I blocked off your wifi so you're waking up, for a start. Next time, put more decent firewalls around your plane's wifi. Anyone could hack in." I said, picking up Clara's laptop, "Tell you what, do you want to drive?" I asked. I then turned around and started the walk back to the Tardis, a stunned Doctor and Clara following after me.

"Okay. When are you going to explain to me what the hell is going on?" Clara asked sharply. We were all back inside the Tardis. The Doctor was fiddling with the controls while Clara stood next to him. Jack was standing next to me while I was leaning up against the railing. Lia was watching the conversation a couple feet away from us, also leaning up against the railing. "I know Susan said Torchwood. Torchwood works with aliens." Her eyes widened. "Is this an invasion?"

"Breakfast." The Doctor said, looking up from the console at Clara.

"What? I ain't waiting till breakfast."

"It's a time machine. You never have to wait for breakfast." The Doctor said.

"Doctor," I said before the Doctor went out to the South Bank.

The Doctor turned around, "Yes, Susan?"

"We're going to take the vortex manipulator. We'll meet you there and save two spots." I said.

The Doctor nodded. "See you there."

We appeared in an alleyway just around the corner from the shop The Doctor said to meet us at. Lia groaned and massaged her neck, "I'll never get used to traveling like that. Hate it."

"Come on. Let's get a seat." I said, grabbing Jack's hand and all three of us walked out of the alleyway and into the street.

* * *

 _ **Rooftop Terrace**_

We could see a view of St. Paul's Cathedral dome with The Shard just beyond it. The Doctor had just arrived with Clara and had placed Clara's laptop on the table. "So if we can travel anywhere in time and space, why did we travel to the morning. What's the point in that?" Clara asked.

Jack rolled his eyes, "Whoever's after us spent the whole night looking for us. Are you tired?"

"Yes."

The Doctor opens Clara's laptop and begins typing, "What? Then imagine how they feel. They came the long way round. They've got to be close. Definitely London going by the signal distribution. I can hack the lowest level of their operating system but I can't establish a physical location. The security's too good."

"Are you an alien?" Clara asked.

I rolled my eyes, "Didn't The Doctor tell you that on the plane?"

"I am. Susan is. Her daughter, Lia is as well. Yes, okay with that?"

"Oh, yeah. Think I'm fine. What about Susan's husband? Is he an alien as well?"

"Oh, Jack? Human but immortal."

Clara's eyes widened. "Okay. So, what happens if you do find them? The people who are taking over the wifi. What happens then?"

"I don't know. I can't tell the future, I just work there." The Doctor said, still typing.

Clara eyed him, "You don't have a plan?"

"Oh, you know what I always say about plans."

"What?"

"I don't have one."

Clara scoffed, "People always have plans."

"Yes. Yes, I suppose they do. So tell me, how long have you been looking after those kids?"

Clara winced, "About a year, since their mum died."

"Okay. Why you? Family friend, I get that, but there must have been others. Why did it have to be you? You don't really seem like a nanny."

"Gimme." she grabs the laptop. He grabs it back.

"Sorry. What?"

"You need to know where they physically are. Their exact location." Clara said.

"Yes."

"I can do it." Clara tugs harder on her laptop.

"Oi, hang on. I need that."

Clara rolled her eyes, "You've hacked the lower operating system, yeah? I'll have their physical location in under five minutes. Pop off and get us a coffee."

"If I can't find them, you definitely can't. Susan sould try first."

"Don't bring me into this!"I said, putting both hands up.

Clara glared at The Doctor, "They uploaded me, remember? I've got computing stuff in my head."

The Doctor tries to yank the computer back from Clara, but Clara is still holding on, "So do I."

"I have insane hacking skills."

"I'm from space and the future with two hearts and twenty seven brains." The Doctor argued, making it up.

"And I can find them in under five minutes plus photographs. Twenty seven?" Clara stops and starts at The Doctor.

The Doctor sighs, "Okay, slight exaggeration."

"It's only one brain." I said.

"Coffee, go get. Five minutes, I promise." Clara finally gets the laptop.

"The security is absolute." The Doctor said.

"It's never about the security, it's about the people." Clara's fingers are a blur on the keyboard.

"Why do you keep looking at me like that?" Clara asked. The Doctor looked away from Clara.

"Sorry, no, it's nothing. It's just, you're a nanny. Isn't that a bit, well, Victorian?" The Doctor asked. Lia inhaled sharply.

"Victorian?"

"You're young. Shouldn't you be doing, you know, young things, with young people?" The Doctor said, standing up.

"You mean like you, for instance? Down, boy." Clara said, smirking, but not moving her eyes from the screen.

"No. No. I didn't. Shut up." The Doctor said.

"Jack go with Lia. Get her something to eat." I said, pulling out my phone, and checking my texts, trying to look busy."

"Susan." Jack said in that tone that said 'I-know-what-you-are-doing'.

"Jack please," I glanced at Lia then back at my husband, "I'll have a toasted bagel with jelly."

Jack took a deep breath. Thankfully Lia didn't realize anything was wrong yet, "Alright." _You better stay safe._ Jack thought to me. "Back in a minute. Come on, Lia."

Jack and Lia left after The Doctor.

The Doctor and Jack come out of the coffee shop after a couple minutes.

"I did it. I really did. I did it. I did it Susan! I found them." Clara said, staring at the laptop screen.

"You found them." The Doctor said, monotone.

"The Shard. They're in the Shard. Floor sixty five." Clara said, typing again, not looking up.

"Hey, Jack, where's Amelia?" I asked the walking base station that I knew was impersonating my husband. I looked around and realized we were alone.

"Floor sixty five." The Doctor repeated what Clara last said.

"Where's Amelia?" _Jack_ asked in the same monotone as The Doctor.

"Are you listening to me, Doctor? I found them." Clara finally looks up at The Doctor.

"I'm listening to you. You found them." The Doctor's and Jack's head turn around to reveal that they is actually a walking base station. The walking base station that is Jack shoots a blue electricity beam at me and before I could respond, I cried out in pain and fell against the table, unconscious.

* * *

 _ **Constellation of Synthia**_

 _ **Planet- Drax Three**_

 _ **Outskirts of Draxiar- The Harkness Estate**_

My eyelids fluttered open. I was in my bed back at our house on Drax Three. I looked at the clock and it said 11:34 pm. I heard a sound of flushing and saw Jack come out of the bathroom, turning the lights off. "You're awake." Jack said, "That base station did a number on you. It apparently knew you were a Time Lady and set the setting accordingly. It could only knock you out and not download you because you hadn't clicked on that wifi."

I sighed, "Somehow or another I always end up unconscious."

Jack climbed into bed and snuggled up against me, "Yeah." Jack said into my shoulder, "You gotta stop doing that."

I smiled and closed my eyes, "If it means protecting you or Lia, of course I will keep doing that."

* * *

 ** _Thank you to my favorites:_** _booklover100 and hrodenhaver_

 _ **Thank you to my follower:** booklover100 _


	15. The Rings of Akhaten- Part 1

**A/N: This story will be from Amelia Rose's POV from here on out.**

* * *

 **The Rings of Akhaten- Part 1**

 _ **Drax Three- March 18th, 2041**_

 _ **The Harkness Estate**_

I was in my room, lying on my bed talking to my best friend Arya Quiar, and two other friends, Genesis Krell and Lysa Victory, over Draxiaon Systems, 'the Drax version of Skype' as my Mum puts it... whatever Skype was.

At that moment, Arya, Genesis and Lysa were all clammering on at once, trying to be the loudest so the others could hear them, "Guys!" I shouted into my headset.

Instantly I heard 'ows!' and cries. "Why would you yell like that!" Genesis fake cried. "That hurts."

"Sorry guys. I just couldn't hear myself think." I retorted jokingly. "Anyway, did you hear that Generation Productions is working on warp speed?" I asked, generally interested in the sciences, especially because of The Doctor.

"Eh, it's cool and all, but companies like that have been claiming things like that for years." Lysa put in.

"Lia! Dinner!" Mom's voice drifted up from the floorboards.

I sighed, "Guys, I have to go. Mom's calling for dinner." Instantly everyone began to protest, "I know guys. I see you at school tomorrow." I said and canceled my part of the call. I straightened my hair, pulling it back into a high bun and went down stairs.

We were about to start eating when the sound of the Tardis filled the room. Mom groaned putting her fork that she had just picked up, back down on the table, "Just when we were about to eat."

The Tardis appeared in the corner of the kitchen where nothing was in it's way. The Doctor stepped out. "Susan, can I talk to you and Jack for a moment?"

Mom and Dad shared a look. "Sure," Mom answered. She then turned to me, "Stay here."

I huffed and crossed my arms as Mom and Dad followed The Doctor into the Tardis. It was a while before Mom and Dad came back out. So long that I had finished my dinner, wrapped up Mom and Dad's plates, put them in the fridge and washed and dried the dishes. I was a third of the way into my homework at a clean kitchen table before my parents came back out with The Doctor.

I looked up, "That took a long time." I stated.

"Yes, it did." Mom said. "Captain, do you want to tell Lia or do you want me to."

I frowned. "Tell me what?"

"Let's go sit in the livingroom." Dad suggested.

I eyed my parents but reluctantly followed them into the living room and sat down opposite my parents, "Now, what is it?"

"On Gallifrey, the home of the Time Lord's, once one of their young would reach a certain age, they would find an apprenticeship. It could be anything from tailoring to shadowing one of the council members. Since you grew up on a human world and you are part human, part time-lord, your current age allows you to be eligible for apprenticeship." Mom started.

Dad continued, "Since," He glanced at The Doctor, "Since doing this the normal way is impossible, The Doctor would like to offer you a chance at an apprenticeship." Before I could open my mouth to say 'yes', Dad said, "Wait and listen before you accept. You would be learning about the Time Lords and your abilities. In a normal apprenticeship, the apprentice would leave his or her home to live with his or her mentor until their training is complete, which would be more like two hundred to three hundred years."

Mom started talking again, "We thought we would give you a trial run before you say 'yes' to the actual apprenticeship, which is binding. In this trial run, you can come home and see us, every once and awhile. Mostly you would stay with The Doctor."

I could already tell Mom didn't like the idea of me staying with him.

"The trial would be for a year." Dad said.

"You don't have to answer right away. Give us your answer tomorrow after school. The Doctor will be back then."

My parents left me on the couch and headed into the kitchen with The Doctor. A couple minutes later, the Tardis sound told me The Doctor had left.

* * *

 _ **Drax Three- March 19th, 2041**_

School didn't really help. All day I was distracted and even my friends noticed something was off. I knew I did poorly on that history exam. I came home and went directly to my room without a word to my parents.

I dropped my backpack by my desk and lay on my bed and closed my eyes. Here it was. My dream: to see space. But I had to go away for a year. A year without my parents. I wasn't a fool. I knew The Doctor's adventures were dangerous. I knew people had died.

I had been on some of The Doctor's adventures before. I'd seen the Dalek Asylum. I'd met Queen Nefertiti and saved Dinosaurs on a spaceship. I've faced an alien gunslinger and snowman victorian London. Why was I so scared to go with The Doctor?

There was a knock at my door, "Lia, it's me." It was Dad.

"Not now Dad," The door opened and then closed. I sighed. Apparently saying 'not now' means 'come in'. I felt a dip in the bed as he sat down. We were silent, "I don't know what to choose." I opened my eyes to find Dad looking down at me.

Dad eyed me like he didn't believe me, "Is that all? You love science and space. I would have thought it would be an easy choice for you."

I rolled over and stared at my purple wall, "I'm scared."

"Of what?" Dad said softly.

"I'm not sure. That's why I'm scared." I picked at the frayed strands of my patterned blanket. "I do want to know more about my species."

Dad sighed, patted my shoulder and said, "I'm sure you'll make the right choice." He waited a couple more minutes and left the room.

* * *

I walked into the kitchen to find The Doctor and my parents waiting for me around the table. I heard the Tardis land at least an hour ago. I took a deep breath and said, "I accept."

* * *

After I had said goodbye to my parents, I was shown my room, which was an exact replica of mine. I then put my clothes away in the dresser and met The Doctor back in the counsel room. I had changed my cloths while I was putting way my others.

I was in dark black jeans with a small ripped hole above of both knees. I was wearing a white blouse and black faux leather jacket. I had it zipped up. I also wore white sneakers and my red hair in a pony-tail.

The Doctor was messing with the controls. "So, what are we doing now?" I asked.

The Doctor looked at me and smiled. "We're going into the past of Clara Oswald."

* * *

 _ **Autumn 1981**_

A breeze flows through, making the map that a young man's has bend and fold as he tries to look at it and walk down a street at the same time.

The Doctor and I are hiding behind the Beano Summer Special 1981, and the Specials 'Ghost Town' is setting the musical scene. Suddenly a dead leaf flies into the young man's face, and he staggers in surprise into the path of an oncoming car. My eyes widened but The Doctor put an arm across me, preventing me from doing anything.

Then an arm pulls him to safety.

"Oh, my stars. Are you alright?" A young woman asks, whom I know to be Ellie, Clara's mother.

"Yeah."

"So, I've got something for you." Dave said.

"What?" Ellie asks. Dave shows Ellie the dead leaf.

Ellie stares at Dave, "You kept it?"

Dave smiled, "Of course I kept it."

Ellie shook her head, "Why?"

"Because this exact leaf had to grow in that exact way in that exact place so that precise wind could tear it from that precise branch and make it fly into this exact face at that exact moment. And if just one of those tiny little things had never happened, I'd never have met you. Which makes this the most important leaf in human history."

The Doctor turns his face as they kiss and we go back into the Tardis.

"Give it a kick." Dave encourages Clara. The Doctor and I are watching nearby. The little girl kicks a football which hits the Doctor in the face. He adopts a defensive martial arts posture. I laughed.

Ellie runs over, "Oh, my stars! Are you alright?"

"Fine. Marvellous. Refulgent. Possibly a bit embarrassed. That's not dangerous, is it?"

Ellie looked puzzled, "What's not?"

"Embarrassment," The Doctor stated.

"Not usually. Not to my knowledge."

"Good. Hey," The Doctor said to Dave, who had just walked up, "Phew."

"Mate, I'm so sorry. She wants to be Bryan Robson."

"No worries. My fault. No harm done." The Doctor crouched down to look at Clara, "Hello there." Clara smiles but doesn't say anything.

"Clara." Ellie says.

The Doctor looks up at Ellie then back down at Clara, "Ah. Hello there, Clara."

The Doctor and I watched as Clara and David Oswald looked down on a stone that read _**Ellie Oswald, beloved wife and mother, born 11th September 1960, died 5th March 2005.**_

"Come on." The Doctor whispered. We walked back to the Tardis in silence.

"She's just a girl. How can she be?" The Doctor asked. The scanner pops up her ID from the Spaceship Alaska, The Doctor went on before I could suggest answer, "She can't be. She is. She can't be. She's not possible."

"Maybe she's like Dad." I suggested.

The Doctor glanced at me, "That's a good guess. No, that's too easy. Besides, I would feel it if she was like Jack."

"What do you mean, feel it?" I asked.

The Doctor quickly changed the subject, "So, let's pick up Clara!"

"So we're moving through actual time? So what's it made of, time? I mean, if you can just rotor through it, it's got to be made of stuff, like jam's made of strawberries. So what's it made of?" Clara rambled on while I was leaning up against the railing, watching.

The Doctor snorted, "Well, not strawberries. No. No, no, no. That would be unacceptable."

"And we can go anywhere?" Clara asked.

"Within reason. Well, I say reason."

"So, we could go backwards in time."

The Doctor nodded, "And space, yes."

"And forwards in time."

The Doctor grinned. "And space. Totally. So, where do you want to go, eh? What do you want to see?"

Clara stared at The Doctor, "I don't know. You know when someone asks you what's your favourite book and straight away you forget every single book that you've ever read?"

The Doctor shook his head, "No. Totally not."

"Yes." I said.

Clara glanced at me then turned back to The Doctor, "Well, that's a thing that happens."

"And? Back to the question?"

"Okay. So. So. So. So I'd like to see. I would like to see. What I would like to see is, something awesome." Clara says.

The Doctor guides Clara out of the Tardis with her eyes closed while I followed closely behind. My eyes were wide when I saw the sight beyond the asteroid we were on. We were standing on a small ledge overlooking an asteroid belt circling a massive star. It was beautiful sight. My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by The Doctor.

"Can you feel the light on your eyelids?" The Doctor asked Clara, who nodded. "That is the light of an alien sun. Forward a couple of steps. Okay. Are you ready?"

"Yes. No. Yes?"

The Doctor took his hands off Clara's eyes, "Welcome to the Rings of Akhaten."

Clara was stunned, "It's."

The Doctor smiled. "It is. It so completely is. But wait, there is more."

I leaned up against the asteroid, crossed my arms and felt the warmth of the sun.

"More what?" Clara asked.

"Wait, wait, wait." The Doctor looks at his wrist watch. "In about five, four, three, two." The asteroids move on to reveal a golden pyramid glinting on a rock closer to the sun.

My mouth dropped open. I'd never seen anything like it. "What is it?" I asked.

The Doctor glanced back at me, "The Pyramid of the Rings of Akhaten. It's a holy site for the Sun Singers of Akhat."

"The who of what?" Clara asked.

"Seven worlds orbiting the same star. All of them sharing a belief that life in the universe originated here, on that planet."

"All life?"

The Doctor nodded, "In the universe."

Clara, still looking at the pyramid asked, "Did it?"

"Well, it's what they believe. It's a nice story."

Clara looks to The Doctor, "Can we see it? Up close?"

We were now in what looked like a shopping area. Many aliens go about their daily business without a thought to our arrival.

"Where are they from?" Clara asked, looking around with wide eyes.

"Oh, you know, the local system, mostly." The Doctor responded.

"What do I call them?" Clara asked.

At this point, I listened closely, wanting to meet new aliens.

"Well, let's see. Ah! There go some Panbabylonians. A Lugal-Irra-Kush. Some Lucanians. A Hooloovoo. Ah! Qom VoTivig." They exchange a greeting that concludes with a pelvic thrust. "That chap's a Terraberserker of the Kodion Belt. You don't see many of them around any more. Oh! That's an Ultramancer. Do you know, I forget how much I like it here. We should come here more often."

"You've been here before?" Clara asked.

"Yes, yes, yes. I came here a long time ago with my granddaughter." The Doctor dashes off through the crowd and I followed closely behind. I remembered Mom talking about her namesake before but

I never met his granddaughter in person.

"Hang on!" Clara yells after us and runs to catch up.

I'm standing beside The Doctor who is looking at a basket of blue glowing globes when Clara catches up. "Exotic fruit of some description." The Doctor scans it with his sonic as Clara picked one up. "Right. Non-toxic, non-hallucinogenic. High in free radicals and low in other stuff, I shouldn't wonder."

Clara tries it and makes a face.

"No?" The Doctor asks her. Clara shakes her head, "What about you, Lia?" I grimaced and took a steep back.

"So, why is everyone here?" I asked The Doctor and we started walking away from the food.

"For the Festival of Offerings. Takes place every thousand years or so, when the rings align. It's quite a big thing, locally, like Pancake Tuesday."

The Doctor and I walked on until Clara called, "Oh! Er, Doctor?" The Doctor rushes back to Clara and the alien. The Doctor starts barking. "What's happening? Why is it angry?" Clara asked, panicking.

The Doctor looks back at Clara, "This isn't an it, it's a she. Dor'een, meet Clara. Clara, meet Dor'een."

"Doreen?"

The Doctor shrugged, "Loose translation. She sounds a bit grumpy but she's a total love actually, aren't you? Yes, you are. No, actually, she's just asking if we fancy renting a moped."

"So, how much does it cost?" Clara asked.

"Not money. Something valuable. Sentimental value. A photograph, love letter, something like that. That's what's used for currency here. Psychometry. Objects psychically imprinted with their history. The more treasured they are, the more value they hold."

Clara stared at The Doctor, "That's horrible."

"Better than using bits of paper."

"Then you pay."

"With what?"

"You're a thousand years old. You must have something you care about." Clara turns around looking at the different surroundings.

"Are you okay?" I stepped next to Clara and looked at her, asking with genuine concern.

Clara gave a smile, "Yeah, it's just a lot to take in."

I smiled, "Same thing happened to me. Don't worry, it's normal."

Clara looked around. "Doctor? Doctor?"

My eyes widened and I spun around, looking in every direction. He was gone.

Suddenly a young girl dressed in a red gown runs round the corner and into me. I stumbled a bit and we both stared at each other, "Are you okay?" I asked. The girl runs on. Then two tall men arrive on the scene.

"Have you seen her?" One of the men asked.

"Who?" Clara asked.

"The Queen of Years."

"Who?" Clara repeated. The men split up to search.

I grabbed Clara's hand and said, "Come on." We followed the girl.

"Are you sure about this?" Clara asked as we tried to figure out where the young girl went.

"Yeah, completely." I lied. I wondered why the girl was running from those scary looking guards.

After a few minutes of pursuit, we entered a storage room. It was dark inside and filled with different shaped boxes in a seemingly random order. "Hello?" I called.

Something bangs which makes Clara jump. Then the girl from earlier appears. I bent down to her hight, "Hey. Are you okay? Are you lost?"

The girl runs off. We found each other after a minute or so, still in the same room. This time Clara speaks. "Are you alright? What are you doing?"

"Hiding." The girl responds.

"Oh." Clara says. "Why?"

"You two don't know me?" The girl asks, looking at us, trying to figure out if we were a danger to her or not.

"Sorry. Actually not." Clara said.

"So why did you follow me?" The girl asks.

I smiled briefly, "To help. You looked lost."

The girl shakes her head, "I don't believe you."

"I've got no idea who you might be. I've never been here before. I've never been anywhere like here before. I just saw a little girl who looked like she needed help." Clara said. I let Clara take it from here, it looked like she was able to get through to the girl when I couldn't. I guess I wasn't good with children.

"Really?"

"Really really."

"Can you help me?"

Clara gave the girl a reassuring smile, "That's why I'm still here."

"Because I need to hide."

Black smoke materialises into three possible robots. A voice whispers in the air. "Merry. Where are you, Merry?"

Clara smiled, "I know the perfect box." Clara glances at me and I nodded, telling her it was alright with me. Merry takes Clara's hands and we dodged around the items and boxes in the storeroom.

The creepy voices still asking, "Merry, where are you? Merry. Merry."

Clara and I hide Merry behind us as people pass by. Then we go to the Tardis.

Merry stares up at outside of the Tardis with wonder, never seeing anything like it before, "What's this?"

"A space-shippy thing. Timey, spacey." Clara said.

I giggled and rolled my eyes, "It's a spaceship that travels through time and space."

Merry's eyes widened, "It's teeny."

Clara smiled at Merry. "You wait." She tries the doors. The doors don't open for her. "Oh, come on."

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know. I don't think it likes me. Come on, let me in." Clara says, pounding her hand on the door. Before I could ask if I could try, Merry runs around the back of the Tardis and sits down.

"Hey. Hey, little girl." Clara called, going around the Tardis. I followed, keeping an eye out for those things that were after her.

"My name's Merry." Merry says. Clara sits with Merry round the back of the Tardis while I stood behind Clara.

"So, what's happening? Is someone trying to hurt you?" Clara asked.

Merry shakes her head and I gave a sigh of relief. "No. I'm just scared."

"Of what?"

"Getting it wrong." Merry responded.

"Okay." Clara said, completely out of her depth, "Can you pretend like I'm totally a space alien and explain?"

"I'm Merry Gejelh." Merry said. My eyes widened. I remembered reading about a Merry Gejelh at school in my history class. She was the Queen of Years. She knew everything about her people's history.

"Really not local. Sorry." Clara said.

"The Queen of Years? They chose me when I was a baby, the day the last Queen of Years died."

"Okay."

"I'm the vessel of our history. I know every chronicle, every poem, every legend, every song."

Clara's eyes widened, "Every single one? Blimey. I hated history."

Merry continued, "And now I have to sing a song in front of everyone. A special song. I have to sing it to a god. And I'm really scared."

Clara took Merry's hands, "Everyone's scared when they're little. I used to be terrified of getting lost. Used to have nightmares about it. And then I got lost. Blackpool beach, Bank holiday Monday, about ten billion people. I was about six. My worst nightmare come true."

"What happened?" Merry breathed.

"The world ended. My heart broke. And then my mum found me. We had fish and chips, and she drove me home and she tucked me up and she told me a story."

"And you were never scared again?" Merry asked.

"Oh, I was scared lots of times, but never of being lost. So, this special song. What are you scared of, exactly?" Clara asked.

"Getting it wrong. Making Grandfather angry."

"And do you think you'll get it wrong? Because I don't. I don't think you'll get it wrong. I think you, Merry Gejelh, will get it very, very right." Merry hugs Clara and then smiles up at me.

We went back into the bazaar and reunite Merry with the Chorister, who puts a lei around Merry's neck and gently leads her away, Merry glancing back at us as she went.

The Doctor appears at Clara's elbow, eating one of the blue glowing fruit, "What have you two been doing?"

Clara and I smiled at each other and Clara answered, "Exploring. Where are we going now?"

* * *

 **A/N: I now have a Guardians of the Galaxy story started called Valkyrie. That story will be updated on the second Saturday of every month.**

 _ **Thank you to my favorite:** hrodenhaver  
_

 ** _Review:_**

 _alwaystherereading:_ Yeah, she does get knocked out quite a lot.


	16. The Rings of Akhaten- Part 2

**The Rings of Akhaten- Part 2**

The Doctor, Clara and I run into the Amphitheater breathlessly and take the last three available seats. "Shush, shush. Sorry. Sorry. Excuse me. Sorry. Excuse me." The Doctor says as we climbed over people to them."

"Sorry, sorry." Clara repeats.

"Sorry for them." I said, nodding my head in their direction as I sat down on the right side of The Doctor while Clara sat on the left. We were in a semicircular amphitheatre facing the pyramid asteroid with tiered seating. I saw Merry standing on a small pedestal staring at the temple which was between them and the huge fiery sun.

"Are we even supposed to be here?" Clara whisper hisses at The Doctor.

The Doctor leans in closer to Clara and whispers, "Shush."

"But are we?"

"Shush!" The Doctor glances around him, "Sorry." he says to the other aliens around him.

Merry looks around at us. I smiled at her and she turns around and starts to sing "Akhaten. O god of Akhaten."

The Doctor takes out a pamphlet, "They're singing to the Mummy in the Temple. They call it the Old God. Sometimes Grandfather." The Doctor told us.

"O god of Akhaten."

"What are they singing?" I asked quietly.

"The Long Song. A lullaby without end to feed the Old God. Keep him asleep. It's been going for millions of years, chorister handing over to chorister, generation after generation after generation."

The congregation hold out their hands.

"What are they doing?" Clara asked, looking around.

"Those are offerings. Gifts of value. Mementoes to feed the Old God." The offerings dissolve into sparkles.

"O god of, O god of, O god of Akhaten."

A whole chorus starts up amongst the congregation and I sang along with them," Lay, lay down-" Something rumbles in the Pyramid. Merry stops singing. She turns around and looks straight at Clara and I in fear.

Suddenly, An energy beam lifts Merry off her pedestal and transports her through the space to the Pyramid. My eyes widened and I stood up fast along with Clara and The Doctor, "Doctor." I said in a warning tone.

"Okay, what's happening? Is that supposed to happen?" Clara asked, panicking.

"Help!" Merry yelled in fright.

"Is somebody going to do something? Excuse me, is somebody going to help her?" Clara asks around as nobody stood up to help, only shift nervously in their seats.

* * *

Clara and I followed closely behind The Doctor as we ran through the shopping area. Clara stops in place and yells at The Doctor, "Why are we walking away? We can't just walk away. This is my fault! I talked her into doing this."

I stopped as well, "It's also my fault. She was scared of getting it wrong. She didn't want to do it and we talked her back into it and now that things got her. Doctor, please."

The Doctor stopped and rounded on us, giving us an angry look, "Listen. There's one thing you need to know about travelling with me. Well, one thing apart from the blue box and the two hearts. We don't walk away."

We were by Dor'een's stall. The Doctor goes over and talks to Dor'een. Even though I could understand everything they were saying, I ignored it, nervous and scared for Merry. What if I got her killed because I meddled with her life? Now I could see why Mom didn't want me traveling until I was old enough. Our presence always had consequences, and not always good ones.

The Doctor turns around and looks at Clara, "I need something precious."

"Well, you must have something. All the places you've seen, there must be something." Clara said, not wanting to give away anything of hers. That's understandable. The only thing that I really had that I cared about was a journal of my mother's adventures that she wrote for me and that was back in the Tardis. It was one of my 'sweet' sixteen presents.

The Doctor takes out his sonic screwdriver and flips it, then puts it back away, "This. And I don't want to give it away, because it comes in handy."

Clara stares at him, "You're a thousand years old and that's it? Your spanner?"

The Doctor glares at Clara, "Screwdriver."

Clara takes off one of her many rings and explains, "It's my mum's." She gives it to Dor'een who sniffs it, nods and puts it in one of her bags.

* * *

We road on the spreader across the space between the amphitheater and the pyramid. The Doctor was in front, then clara and lastly me. Merry floated in the beam of light just ahead of us. Clara reached out for Merry's hand, and she did the same but the light pulled Marry away from us faster into the pyramid and the door slams shut.

"Merry!" I yelled.

"Breaks! Breaks!" Clara yelled as we crashlanded outside of the pyramid. Since the pod was only designed for two, I fell off the back and landed hard on the ground while Clara grabbed hold of The Doctor.

I stood up and groaned, "That's going to hurt tomorrow."

"Okay, time to let go." The Doctor said.

"I can't." Clara responded.

"Clara, you have to."

"Why?"

"Because it really hurts." The Doctor wheezed.

Clara let's go instantly, "Sorry."

They climbed off the pod and The Doctor scans the entrance to the Pyramid, "Oh, that's interesting. A frequency modulated acoustic lock. The key changes ten million zillion squillion times a second."

"Can you open it?" I asked.

"Technically, no. In reality, also no, but still, let's give it a stab."

"How can they just stand there and watch?" Clara asked. I had the same question in mind.

"Because this is sacred ground."

"She's a child." I said.

"And he's a god. Well, he is to them, anyway."

We suddenly heard Merry's screams. "Merry! Merry, hold on! We'll be there soon. Doctor?" Clara yells.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes. Oh, hello." The Doctor says, still using his sonic on the door.

"Hello what?"

"The sonic's locked on to the acoustic tumblers."

"Meaning?" Clara asked.

"The Door opens, right?" I asked.

The Doctor looks at me and nods, "Meaning I get to do this."

The door rises. The Doctor seems to be pushing it via the sonic screwdriver. He stands underneath it to hold it open, "Hello there. I'm the Doctor, and you've met Clara and Lia. They were supposed to be having a nice day out. Still, it's early yet. Are you coming, then? Did I mention that the door is immensely heavy?" The Doctor said, seeming to be under a strain. I stepped in the Pyramid.

"Leave. You'll wake him." Merry says.

"Really quite extraordinarily heavy." The Doctor is pushed to his knees, "Clara?" Clara enters the Pyramid.

"Old God, never wake from slumber." The man continues to sing.

"Merry, we need to leave." Clara says.

Merry shakes her head, "No. Go away."

Clara steps forward, "Not without you."

Merry glared at Clara, "You said I wouldn't get it wrong and then I got it wrong. And now this has happened. Look what happened!"

"You didn't get it wrong." Clara says softly, stepping closer to Merry and the box that held the strange alien.

"How do you know? You don't know anything. You have to go! Go now, or he'll eat us all."

Clara scruggs, "Well, he's ugly. But you know, to be honest, I don't think he looks big enough."

"Not our meat, our souls." Merry touches her temples and purple energy sticks Clara to the Mummy's glass box, with her back to the occupant, "He doesn't want you. He wants me. If you don't leave, he'll eat you all up too."

"Clara!" I called, stepping forward.

"Amelia Rose, don't move." The Doctor commanded. I stopped short, The Doctor using of my full name surprised me. Then to Merry, he said, "Yes, and you don't want that, do you? You want us to walk out of this really quite astonishingly heavy door and never come back."

"Yes."

"I see. Right. Clara's right. Absolutely never going to happen." The Doctor rolls out from underneath the door, and just grabs his sonic screwdriver before the door slams down upon it.

"Did you just lock us in with the soul eating monster?" Clara asked, staring at The Doctor.

The Doctor smiled. "Yep."

"Is there actually a way to get out?" I asked.

"What? Before it eats our souls?" The Doctor retorted.

Clara glares at The doctor. "Ideally, yes."

"Possibly. Probably. There usually seems to be."

"Doctor, why is he still singing?" I asked.

"Old God, rest your weary, holy head." The man sings.

The Doctor sighs, "He's trying to sing the Old God back to sleep, but that's not going to happen. He's waking up, mate. He's coming, ready or not. You want to run." The Chorister stops chanting. "That's it, then. Song's over."

"The song is over. My name is Chorister Rezh Baphix, and the Long Song ended with me." The Chorister touches a button on a bracelet, and he disappears.

"That's it, then. Song's over." The Mummy/alien in the box roars, "Ah ha! Look at that."

"You've woken him!" Merry says in fear.

"It's awake? What's it doing?"

"Oh, you know. Having a nice stretch." It's hammering on the glass trying to break out, "No, we didn't wake him. And you didn't wake him, either. He's waking because it's his time to wake, and feed. On you, apparently. On your stories."

"She didn't say stories. She said souls." Clara said.

The Doctor shrugged, "Same thing. The soul's made of stories, not atoms. Everything that ever happened to us. People we love, people we lost. People we found again against all the odds. He threatens to wake, they offer him a pure soul. The soul of the Queen of Years."

"Stop it. You're scaring her." I said as Merry backed up from The Doctor.

"Good. She should be scared. She's sacrificing herself. She should know what that means. Do you know what it means, Merry?"

"A god chose me." Merry responded.

"It's not a god. It'll feed on your soul, but that doesn't make it a god. It is a vampire, and you don't need to give yourself to it. Hey, do you mind if I tell you a story? One you might not have heard. All the elements in your body were forged many, many millions of years ago, in the heart of a far away star that exploded and died. That explosion scattered those elements across the desolations of deep space. After so, so many millions of years, these elements came together to form new stars and new planets. And on and on it went. The elements came together and burst apart, forming shoes and ships and sealing wax, and cabbages and kings. Until eventually, they came together to make you. You are unique in the universe. There is only one Merry Gejelh. And there will never be another. Getting rid of that existence isn't a sacrifice. It is a waste."

"So, if I don't, then everyone else-"

"Will be fine." The Doctor says.

"How?"

"There's always a way."

"You promise?"

The Doctor smiled, "Cross my hearts."

Merry releases Clara. The Mummy has broken a hole in the glass, "Having a nice stretch?" The asteroid rumbles, "Something's coming."

"The Vigil." Merry says.

"And what's the Vigil?" I asked Merry.

"If the Queen of Years is unwilling to be feasted upon-" Merry stopps.

"Yes?"

Merry takes a deep breath and continues, "It's their job to feed her to Grandfather." A puff of black smoke, and the three robotic beings appear, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

"Don't you dare." Clara says to the Mummy.

"Yeah, stay back. I'm armed. With a screwdriver." The Doctor says, pointing his sonic screwdriver at the Mummy. The lead Vigil sends out an acoustic blast that knocks it out of the Doctor's hand, then another that sends him somersaulting backwards. Clara is also thrown against the wall. They are both briefly knocked out. The Vigils lead Merry forward.

"Clara. Sonic." Clara gets the screwdriver and throws it to the Doctor. He sets up a shield against the Vigil's weapon and Merry runs back to Clara

I turned to Merry, "Merry, you know all the stories. You must know if there's another way out."

"There's a tale. A secret song. The Thief of the Temple and the Nimmer's Door." Merry says.

"And the secret songs open the secret door?" Clara concludes. "How does it go? Can you sing it?"

Merry sings a series of notes and a door slides up in the wall just beyond the Vigils and the Mummy.

"Go!" The Doctor yells. Clara, Merry and I run outside. Clara and I look back to see the sonic shield fail.

"Doctor!" Clara and I yelled together. The Mummy breaks free of its glass prison. An energy beam fires at the sun.

"Where are you? Where are you?" A voice asks. The Vigils disappear.

"Where did they go?" I asked The Doctor as he made his way out here.

"Grandfather's awake. They're of no function any more."

"Well, you could sound happier about it." Clara says.

The Doctor winces, "Actually, I think I may have made a bit of a tactical boo-boo. More of a semantics mix-up, really."

Dread filled me. When The Doctor messed up, very bad things tended to happen, "What boo-boo?" I asked in a cautious voice.

"I thought the Old God was Grandfather, but it wasn't. It was just Grandfather's alarm clock." The Doctor explained.

My eyes widened, "Oh crap."

"Sorry, a bit lost. Who's the Old God? Is there an Old God?" Clara asked, still not getting it.

"Unfortunately, yes." We turned around to face the sun to see it become active.

"Oh, my stars. What do we do?" Clara asked.

The Doctor looked at Clara in panic, "Against that? I don't know. Do you know? I don't know. Any ideas?"

"But you promised. You promised!" Merry said, panicking.

The Doctor sighs, "I did. I did promise."

"He'll eat us all. He'll spread across the system, consuming the Seven Worlds. And when there's no more to eat, he'll embark on a new odyssey among the stars."

"I say leg it." Clara says.

"Leg it where, exactly?" The Doctor asked.

"Don't know. Lake District?"

"Oh, the Lake District's lovely. Let's definitely go there. We can eat scones. They do great scones in 1927." The Doctor said.

"You're going to fight it, aren't you." I said softly. Clara stared between me and The Doctor.

"Regrettably, yes. I think I may be about to do that."

"It's really big." I pointed out.

The Doctor shrugged, "I've seen bigger."

"Really?" Clara asked, crossing her arms.

"Are you joking? It's massive."

"I'm staying with you." Clara says.

"So am I." I said.

"No, you're not." The Doctor said.

"Yes, I am. I can assist." Clara said.

"So can I." I said.

"No, you can't."

"What about that stuff you said. We don't walk away." Clara pleaded.

"No. We don't walk away. But when we're holding on to something precious, we run. We run and run as fast as we can and we don't stop running until we are out from under the shadow. Now, off you pop. Take the moped. I'll walk." The Doctor walks around to face the sun, which has the appearance of eyes and mouth, "Any ideas? No, didn't think so. Righty-ho, then."

* * *

Not wanting to ruin my chance at an Apprenticeship with The Doctor, I returned, annoyed, with Clara and Merry to the amphitheatre to watch.

"Isn't he frightened?" Merry asks as I paced next to them.

"I think he is. I think he's very frightened." Clara responds.

"I want to help." Merry said, looking up at Clara.

"So do I." Clara responds.

Merry gets onto her pedestal and starts singing, "Rest now, my warrior. Rest now your hardship is over. Live. Wake up. Wake up. Please, wake up. And let the cloak of life cling to your bones. Cling to your bones. Wake up. Wake up."

The sun suddenly has a series of explosions.

Clara and I nodded to each other and we ran back to the modpad and zoomed back to the pyramid. We ran to the place The Doctor was and I looked up at the sun to see somewhat of a face on in.

I ran up to The Doctor and helped him into a kneeling position.

"Still hungry?" Clara asked. She reached into her purse and took out a book. She opens 101 Places To See and takes out the leaf, "Well, I brought something for you. This. The most important leaf in human history. The most important leaf in human history." The sun smiles, "It's full of stories, full of history. And full of a future that never got lived. Days that should have been that never were. Passed on to me." An energy tendril reaches for the leaf, "This leaf isn't just the past, it's a whole future that never happened. There are billions and millions of unlived days for every day we live. An infinity. All the days that never came. And these are all my mum's."

During Clara's speech, I had helped The Doctor stand, "Well, come on then. Eat up. Are you full? I expect so, because there's quite a difference, isn't there, between what was and what should have been. There's an awful lot of one, but there's an infinity of the other." The Doctor says. The leaf turns into energy, "And infinity's too much, even for your appetite."

* * *

"Home again, home again, jiggity jig."

Clara opens the Tardis door and looks at her house, "It looks different."

"Nope. Same house, same city, same planet. Hey! Same day, actually. Not bad. Hole in one." The Doctor says.

"Same day?" I asked, "That almost never happens from Mom's stories.

Clara turns around and looks at us, "You two were there. At mum's grave. You two were watching. What were you two doing there?"

"I don't know. I was just making sure." The Doctor said.

"Of what?"

"You remind me of someone."

"Who?"

The Doctor sighed, "Someone who died."

"Well, whoever she was, I'm not her, okay? If you want me to travel with you, that's fine. But as me. I'm not a bargain basement stand-in for someone else. I'm not going to compete with a ghost." Clara says angrily.

"No." The Doctor says, he holds out the ring she gave to Dor'een, "They wanted you to have it."

Clara took it, puzzled, "Who did?"

"Everyone. All the people you saved. You. No one else. Clara." Clara takes the ring and leaves the Tardis.

The Doctor closed the door behind her.

* * *

 _ **Thank you to my favorite:** April Marciano_


	17. Cold War- Part 1

**Cold War- Part 1**

The Doctor was running around the counsel of the Tardis while Clara and I walked into the control room. Clara was in a blue silver evening dress with silver high heels while I was in a smoky red dress, with thin straps that went over my shoulders, that seemed to shimmer in the light and a light black shawl draped over my shoulder and black flats. My hair was pulled back into a single, thick, braid.

"Ready for Vegas?" Clara asked me, smiling.

It was a bit more than a month after Akhaten. During that month, I had continuing nightmares about the sun god that we faced. In those dreams things didn't… go well for us and I would always wake up with a sweat. Thankfully I seemed to be having the dreams less. The Doctor had no idea about the nightmares and I wanted to keep it that way.

"Hell yeah." I replied, smiling back, "Drinking and gambling. What could be better?"

"You'd better not say that in front of your mother, Amelia Rose. You're not twenty-one yet." The Doctor called to us from the other side of the room.

Clara looked at me, "You're not twenty-one? How old are you?"

"Seventeen." I replied, "In The Doctor's eyes, I'm still a time-tot."

"You're a Time Lord as well?" Clara asked me.

"Well, part Time Lord and part human. It's very complicated and since my Dad is immortal, I have no idea what I actually am."

Clara's mouth dropped open, "You're father's immortal?"

I sighed, "Yeah. I didn't find out until I was fifteen. Let me tell you, I was not happy at finding out the way I did."

"What happened?" Clara asked as the Tardis landed.

I shrugged as The Doctor walked to the Tardis door, "You know, the usual. Being kidnapped by Daleks and then hurled at a planet full of prisoners." I speed walked over to The Doctor.

"The who?" Clara called after me and ran to catch up, her heels clicking on the floor.

"Viva Las Vegas!" The Doctor cried, spreading his arms out dramatically. When I stepped out next to him, I concluded instantly that it was NOT Vegas. It looked like a very tight control room. People in uniforms were staring at us. Water filled up about to ankle hight.

The room suddenly gives a lurch and The Doctor, Clara, who had only just gotten here, and I go flying across the room. I twisted and turned, landing as my Mom had taught me and stood up fast.

"Stranger on the bridge!" Yelled someone.

"Who the hell are you?" Another soldier asked.

Clara sighed, "Not Vegas, then."

The Doctor stands up and rings his hands together, excitedly, "No. No, this is much better."

"A sinking submarine?" Clara asked, glaring at The Doctor.

The Doctor smiles, "A sinking Soviet submarine!"

"Break out side arms. Restrain them!" The person in charge yelled.

"Four ten. Four twenty." A person shouted out, looking at an instrument, "Turbines still not responding!"

"They've got to." The person in charge said.

The Doctor has the sonic screwdriver switched on. "Ah! Sideways momentum. You've still got sideways momentum!"

"What?"

"Your propellers work independently of the main turbines. You can't stop her going down but you can manoeuvre the sub laterally. Do it!" The Doctor yelled.

"Get these people off the bridge now!" A person yells.

"Just listen to him, for god's sake!" I yelled. "Please!"

"Geographical anomaly to starboard. Probably an underwater ridge." The Doctor said.

The leader glares at The Doctor, "How do you know this?"

The Doctor glares back, "Look, we have just a chance to stop the descent if we settle on it. Do it!"

"Six hundred metres. Sir, six ten!"

"Or this thing is going to implode." The Doctor says.

"Lateral thrust to starboard, all propellers." The leader says.

"Sir?"

"Now!"

"You're going to let this madman give the orders?"

"Lateral thrust!"

"Aye, sir! Six sixty, six eighty." The sub hits the ridge just in time, "Descent arrested at seven hundred metres."

"It seems we owe you our lives, whoever you are." The person in command said.

"I'll hold you to that." The Doctor says, "Might come in handy."

"Search them. Yes, I know." Another man says. When nobody moves, "Yes, it's women! Now search them!"

"Are we going to be okay?" Clara asked as three people came up and started patting us down while I stood silently.

"Oh, yes." The Doctor says.

"Is that a lie?"

"Possibly. Very dangerous time, Clara. East and West standing on the brink of nuclear oblivion." The Doctor has a Barbie doll in a pocket. And a ball of string, "Lots of itchy fingers on the button."

"Isn't it always like that?" Clara asks.

"Sort of, but there are flash points and this is one. Hair, shoulder pads, nukes. It's the Eighties. Everything's bigger. I would like a receipt, please."

The sonic screwdriver is handed to the leader. "What is this?"

The submarine shakes, and I lost my footing and I stumbled away from The Doctor, trying to keep upright.

"Lia!"

"Doctor!" I yelled back.

"Lia!"

The Tardis dematerialises. The Doctor runs to where the Tardis used to be, "No! No, no, no, no, no, no. No, not now!"

I fell over into the foot of water on the control room floor, hitting my head on the way down.

* * *

I drifted in and out of conscious.

After some time, I slowly woke up to find myself resting my head on Clara's lap as she sat in the water, watching The Doctor be interrogated. I found that someone had put a uniform jacket around my shoulders.

I groaned and Clara whispered, "Oh thank the stars you're awake!" She helped me sit up, "The Captain, Captain Zhukov, has been interrogating The Doctor for over an hour. That's Professor Grisenko, the one over there," Clara pointed to a man, out of uniform, wearing a grey hat over his head and earphones hanging around his neck.

"Captain, we didn't attack of your ship out here. Now we need to get the pumps working to get her afloat." The Doctor says as Captain Zhukov grabs his shirt and pushes him into the wall.

"Yeah, we'll last till the rescue ship comes." Captain Zhukov says.

"If it comes."

"Oh, the sinking is just a coincidence, is it? Who are you?" Zhukov yells.

Clara helps me stand

"All right, Captain, all right. You know what? Just this once, no dissembling, no psychic paper, no pretending to be an Earth Ambassador. "Doctor, me, Clara and Amelia Harkness, time travellers. Lia, you okay?"

I rubbed my head. I think I felt a headache come on, "Think so." I responded.

"Time travellers?" The Captain said suspiciously, not believing him.

"We arrived here out of thin air." The Doctor points to Professor Grisenko, "You just saw it happen."

Grisenko shakes his head and says fast, "No I didn't."

"Your problem, mate, not mine."

"We were sinking." I said.

"Yes."

"What happened?"

"We sank."

"No, what happened to the Tardis, I mean."

"Never mind that. Listen. Captain, breath's precious down here. Let's not waste it, eh?" The Doctor said.

Captain Zhukov stepped back, "You're right. Maybe I can save a little oxygen by having you both shot!"

"What does it matter how we arrived?" I yelled at the men, "The important thing is to get-" I trailed off staring at the large stone creature, that I recognized as an Ice Warrior from school, behind The Doctor. It breathes very loudly, "out." I finished.

"Exactly!" The Doctor exclaimed, not noticing what was happening, "Number one priority, not suffocating." Zhukov spots what everyone else is staring at, too, and releases The Doctor. "Eh? Ah. Oh, thank you. Finally seeing sense. Now, what sort of state is the sub in?"

The Ice Warrior is directly behind the Doctor now. "Um, Doctor." Clara says in a small voice, staring at the alien along with the rest of the crew.

"What about the radio? Can we send a-"

"Doctor!" Clara yells, cutting The Doctor off.

"What!" The Doctor yells. The creature hisses. The Doctor looks around everywhere exept for behind him, "What is that? Gas? Could be gas." Then he turns around and looks up at the Warrior, "Ah. It never rains but it pours."

Professor Grisenko stepped forward, "We were drilling for oil in the ice. I thought I'd found a mammoth."

"It's not a mammoth."

"No."

"What is it, then?" Clara asked.

"It's an Ice Warrior." I said, staring at it in awe. We only had pictures in school. The teachers had taught us of the Ice Warriors as legends.

"It's an Ice Warrior." The Doctor said, a second behind me. He glanced back at me, "Lia?"

"School." I said. "Though only as legends.

"You're correct. The Ice Warrior is a native of the planet Mars. And we go way back. Way back." The Doctor said, staring at the Warrior as if he couldn't believe he was seeing one again.

The Captain scoffed, "A Martian? You can't be serious."

"I'm always serious. With days off."

"Doctor." Clara says.

"Just keeping it light, Clara. They're scared."

"They're scared? I'm scared." Clara hissed.

Stepashin points his pistol at the Ice Warrior, who raises his weapon arm and powers up.

The Doctor blocks him, "No, no, no, no, no, no! Please, please. Wait, just. There is no need for this. Just hear me out. You're confused, disorientated. Of course you are. You've been lying dormant in the ice for, for, for how long? How long, Professor?"

"By my reckoning, five thousand years."

"Five thousand years? That's a hell of a nap. Can't blame you if you've got out of the wrong side of bed. Look, nobody here wants to hurt you." He pushes Stepashin's gun down, "Please, just. Why don't you tell us your name?"

"What are you talking about? It has a name?" The Captain asks.

"Of course it has a name. And a rank. This is a soldier, and it deserves our respect." The Doctor says.

"This is madness." Zhukov says, looking around wildly at his crew, "That is a monster!"

"Skaldak." The Warrior says.

The Doctor froze and when he did that I held my breath. Anything that makes The Doctor scared is very, very bad, "What did you say?" The Doctor whispered.

"I am Grand Marshal Skaldak."

"Oh, no." The Doctor whispered. Then electricity plays over Skaldak's wet armour. He roars before collapsing. Stepashin has used a cattle prod on him from behind, "You idiot!" The Doctor yells at him, "You idiot. Grand Marshal Skaldak." The Doctor says, trying to calm his breathing down so he doesn't explode.

"You know him." Clara says.

"Sovereign of the Tharsisian caste. Vanquisher of the Phobos Heresy. The greatest hero the proud Martian race has ever produced."

"So what do we do now?" Zhukov asks quietly.

"Lock him up." The Doctor hisses.

* * *

The Captain's Cabin contained a large desk in the center of the room with papers scattered across it and a chair behind. Zhukov had taken out a glass of wine and was slowly sipping it while The Doctor explained to us what Ice Warriors are. Stepashin and Professor Grisenko are standing off to the side. Stepashin is leaning against the wall, arms crossed.

"The Ice Warriors have a different creed. A different code. By his own standards, Skaldak is a hero. It was said his enemies honoured him so much, they'd carve his name into their own flesh before they died."

"Oh, yeah. Very nice. He sounds lovely." Clara says sarcastically.

"An Ice Warrior?" Captain Zhukov says, taking another sip of his wine, "Explain."

"There isn't time." The Doctor says.

Zhukov narrows his eyes, "Try me."

"Martian reptile know as the Ice Warrior. When Mars turned cold they had to adapt. They're bio-mechaniod. Cyborgs. Built themselves survival armour so they could exist in the freezing cold of their home world, but a sudden increase in temperature and the armour goes haywire."

"Like with the cattle prod thing." I said.

"Like with the cattle prod thing. Bit of a design flaw. To be honest, I've always wondered why they never sorted it. Oh look, you've got me telling you about them and I said there wasn't time."

"Is he that dangerous?" I asked and swallowed.

"This one is."

Professor Grisenko puts his headphones back on.

Stepashin pushes himself off the wall and uncrossed his arms, "Why are we listening to this nonsense, Captain? These people are clearly enemy agents."

"Huh?" Clara says, her eyes widened.

"Spies, Captain."

"Pretty bad spies, mate. I don't even speak Russian." Clara says and I sighed.

Stepashin blinked, "What?"

"I don't." Clara lowers her voice and rushes over to The Doctor, "Am I speaking Russian? How come I'm speaking Russian?"

In the same quietness as Clara, The Doctor says, "Now? We have to do this now?"

"Are they speaking Russian?"

"Seriously? Now? It's the Tardis translation matrix." The Doctor hisses back to Clara.

"In my opinion, Comrade Captain, this creature is a Western weapon." Stepashin continues.

"Are they?" Clara whispers.

"Yes, they're Russians." The Doctor whispers back.

"A weapon?" Zhukov asks, looking at Stepashin.

Stepashin nodded, "Survival suit. What is the alternative? The little green man from Mars?"

"Correction. It's a big green man from Mars." Grisenko put in, taking his headphones off.

Stepashin stared at him, "I don't appreciate your levity, Professor."

"Why does that not surprise me? Maybe they're telling the truth."

"The truth?"

"Yes, a revolutionary concept, I know."

"It's essential that we inform Moscow of what we have found."

Zhukov sighed, "The radio's out of action, in case you hadn't noticed, Stepashin."

"They have our last position. They will find us. When they do-" Stepashin trailed off.

"Yes?"

"Well, the Cold War won't stay cold for ever, Captain."

"For God's sake, Stepashin, you're like a stuck record. We have other priorities right now. I want you back on repairs immediately. We need to keep this ship alive. Dismissed."

Stepashin stiffened, "Sir?"

Zhukov glares at him, "Dismissed, Stepashin." Stepashin leaves.

The Doctor runs his right hand through his hair, "All we needed to do was let Skaldak go and he'd have forgotten us. But you attacked him. You declared war. Harm one of us and you harm us all. That's the ancient Martian code." Suddenly I could hear beeping from Grisenko's headphones, "You hear that? Skaldak has sent out a distress call. He will bring down the fires of hell just for laying a glove on him."

"Unless you talk to it?" The Captain asked.

"I'm the only one who can."

Zhukov shook his head, "No. Out of the question. We're not losing you. I'll do it."

"What?" The Doctor asked, stunned.

"You can talk to it through me."

The Doctor shook his head, "Skaldak won't talk to you. You're an enemy soldier."

"And how would he know that?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes, "A soldier knows another soldier. He'll smell it on you. Smell it on you a mile off."

"And he wouldn't smell it on you, Doctor?"

"Just let me in there before it's too late. It can't be you or any of your men."

Zhukov crossed his arms, "Well, it can't be you."

"Ahem. Well, there really is only one choice, isn't there. I don't smell of anything, to my knowledge."

"I will go with Clara." I said, moving to stand next to her.

"You two? No! No! No way. You're both not going in there, Clara, Amelia. Absolutely not. No, no. Never."

"Amelia?" Zhukov asked, looking at me. "I thought your name was Lia."

I shrugged, "Lia's my nickname. My full name is Amelia Rose Harkness."

* * *

Clara and I slowly walked into the torpedo room, The small circular bulkhead door closes behind us. We each put on a radio headset and pick up an inspection light.

"Ready, Clara? Amelia?" I heard The Doctor say in my ear.

"Yeah." Clara breathed.

"Yes." I whispered.

"Okay."

"Grand Marshal Skaldak." Clara started.

"The salute. Do the salute like I showed you." The Doctor said.

Clara and I clenched our right fist to left shoulder.

"Okay?" Clara whispered.

"Good. Good. Now, like we rehearsed. Sovereign of the Tharsisian caste."

"Sovereign of the Tharsisian caste. By the moons, I honour the." Clara and I said together.

"Good. It's okay, Clara, Lia, go closer."

We cautiously stepped forward. "Grand Marshal, I'm, we're sorry about this." Clara said, taking the lead.

"It isn't what you deserve." Clara repeats from The Doctor. The power goes out and I tensed. "Oh. Oh, great." Clara mutters.

"Hey, it's okay, Clara. Keep going."

Clara puts down the inspection light and switches on a small torch. I do the same, "You're a long way from home. And five thousand years adrift in time. Please, let us help you. You are not our enemy."

"And yet I am in chains." Skaldak.

"Doctor, what do I say?" Clara asks, panicking.

"Yes, Doctor." Skaldak says. "What should she say?"

"I think he wants to speak to the organ grinder, not to the monkey." Grisenko says.

"I heard that." Clara whisper yells back.

"You are restrained until we can trust each other, Skaldak. You would do exactly the same in my position, and don't even think about using that sonic weapon. Not in the torpedo room."

"I was Fleet Commander of the Nix Tharsis. My daughter stood by me. It was her first taste of action. We sang the songs of the Old Times. The Songs of the Red Snow. Five thousand years. Now my daughter will be dust. Only dust." Skaldak hasn't even moved during his whole speech.

"No, no, no. Listen, your people live on Skaldak." The Doctor says, "Scattered all across the universe. And Mars will rise again, I promise you. Just let me help you."

"I require no help." Skaldak hisses. "There will be no help."

"Careful, Clara." The Doctor says as she began to step forward. I grabbed her by the arm.

"I'm okay."

"No, listen, Clara, don't get too close."

"I'm okay. Doctor, something's wrong." Clara says. My eyes widened as soon as she said that. I now saw what she saw.

"She's right. Something's wrong." I whispered.

"What?"

"Something's-" Clara reaches out and touches the helmet and it hinges backwards.

"Shit." I cursed and started looking around the Torpedo room, my eyes wide, looking for Skaldak, "It's not there. It's gone!" The armour opens from the middle outward. It was empty.


	18. Cold War- Part 2

**Cold War- Part 2**

"Gone? Gone? Gone? What do you mean, gone?" The Doctor asked us hurriedly.

"It's got out." Clara breathed.

"It is time I learned the measure of my enemies." Came Skaldak's voice from somewhere in the dark room. I started breathing heavily, "And what this vessel is capable of."

"No, no, no. Skaldak!" The Doctor yelled.

"Harm one of us and you harm us all. By the Moons, this I swear."

"Clara, Amelia, get out of there. Get out!"

"Clara, we have to get out, now." I whisper hissed to her.

"Don't you think I know that?" Clara hissed back.

Suddenly the door started to open and we both run toward it. Then something whooshes past us and down the passageway. I shivered from the amount of wind it created in the sub and realized it was the Warrior escaping from the room.

"Clara, Amelia! Clara! Clara! Clara!" The Doctor shouts, pulling Clara out as Professor Grisenko pulled me out. Zhukov stood off to the side abit.

"I'm okay. Ha, ha! I'm okay. I'm okay! Where did he go?" Clara says as The Doctor inspected her. Professor Grisenko picks up an irregular pattern of beeps on his earphones. "How did I do? Was I okay?"

"Are you okay, lass?" The Professor asked me in a quiet tone. "You're quite pale."

I leaned up against the corridor wall, took a deep breath and let it out, "I'm fine." I said back. I looked back at Grisenko with a small smile, "Thanks for asking." At least someone's looking out for me. I thought as The Doctor continued to check Clara over and ignore me.

The Doctor stared at Clara. "This wasn't a test, Clara."

"I know, but-"

The Doctor smiled, "You were great, yeah."

Clara hesitated, "Really?"

"Really."

"Doctor? The signal. It's stopped." Grisenko says.

"Skaldak got no answer from his Martian brothers. Now he's given up hope."

"Hope of what?" The Captain asked.

"Being rescued. He thinks he's been abandoned. He's got nothing left to lose."

* * *

"But what can he do, stuck down here like the rest of us? How bad can it be?" Zhukov asked as we walked down a hallway on our way back to the control room.

"This sub's stuffed with nuclear missiles, Zhukov. It's fat with them. What do you think Skaldak's going to do when he finds that out? How bad can it be? How bad can it be? It couldn't be any worse." The Doctor said. Some tumbling rocks hit the submarine and water pours through a hatch. It gets closed quickly, "Okay. Spoke to soon."

"Doctor." I said.

"Yes?" The Doctor asked, looking to me.

"Never say that again."

* * *

We regrouped back in the control room. "Comrades, you know our situation. The reactor is drowned. We are totally reliant on battery power and our air is running out. Rescue is unlikely, but we still have a mission to fulfil. If the Doctor is right, then we are all that stands between this creature and the destruction of the world. Control of one missile is all he needs. We are expendable, comrades. Our world is not. I know I can rely on every one of you to do his duty without fail. That is all." The Captain finished his speech.

* * *

A little bit later, still in the Control room we were discussing likely scenarios.

"Even if a missile did get launched, that wouldn't be it, would it?" Clara asked.

"It?" The Doctor said.

"End of the world. Game over. I mean, what if they fired one by accident. What would happen then?" Clara asked.

"I told you, Clara. Earth is like a storm waiting to break, right now. Both sides baring their teeth, talking up war. It would only take one tiny spark."

"Yeah, but the world didn't end in 1983, did it, or I wouldn't be here." Clara said stubbornly.

"New. History's in flux. It can be changed. Re-written." The crew are now all armed with rifles. "How many of us are left?"

Zhukov sighed, "Twelve. And we can't find Stepashin."

"We split up and comb this sub. One team stays here to guard the bridge." The Doctor says.

"That's it? That's the plan?"

"Well, it's either that or we stay here and wait for him to kill us."

"Okay."

"Is it true you've never seen one outside of its shell suit?" Clara asked The Doctor.

The Doctor looked at Clara, "Shell suit? Clara! For an Ice Warrior to leave its armour is the gravest dishonour. Skaldak is desperate. He is deadly and we have got to find him."

"Will this help?" Grisenko asked, holding up the sonic screwdriver to The Doctor.

"Ah! You saved it." The Doctor exclaimed.

"No, no, it was on the floor with this." Grisenko said, lifting up the Barbie doll that came out of The Doctor's pocket. The Doctor takes the sonic back and kisses it along with the Barbie doll.

"Ah, Professor, I could kiss you."

"If you insist."

"Later."

* * *

"So, why have you got a cattle prod on a submarine?" Clara asked as we walked down a passageway.

"Polar bears."

"Ah, right." Clara replied.

"We run across them when we're drilling. Can be quite nasty, you know." Grisenko said.

"I'd swap one for an Ice Warrior any day. Cuddlier."

"Courage, my dear. I always sing a song."

"What?"

"To keep my spirits up."

"Yeah, that would work, if this was Pinocchio." Clara retorts.

Alarms go off, set off by The Doctor, who is a bit ahead. I was in the middle with Clara and Grisenko bringing up the rear. I didn't understand it. The Doctor's reasoning. He brings me onto his Tardis with him to teach me how to be a Time Lord like him and he just ignores me and goes right to Clara.

"Do you know Hungry Like The Wolf?" Grisenko asks.

"What?"

"Duran Duran. One of my favourites. Come on."

"I'm not singing a song."

The Doctor gets a hatch open and puts his head inside. I heard an echoing growl.

I stopped and tensed, "What was that?"

The Doctor looked back, "Pressure. Just pressure. We're seven hundred metres down, remember?"

"That's not helping." I shot back to him.

Grisenko put a calming hand on my right shoulder, "Don't worry about it. Think of something else." He sings the opening phrase of his song, "I am hungry like the wolf."

"I'm not singing." Clara said, shaking her head.

"Don't you know it?" Grisenko asked Clara.

"Course I know it. We do it at karaoke, the odd hen night."

"Karaoke? Hen night? You speak excellent Russian, my dear, but sometimes I don't understand a word you're talking about."

The Doctor, Clara, Grisenko, and I hear growls and screams and run towards them. When we got there, I saw a stiff arm and hand sticking up. I took in a deep breath and counted to ten, squeezing my eyes shut. I clenched my fists.

"Good God. Torn apart. It's a monster, a savage." Grisenko whispered.

"No, Professor. Not savage. Forensic. Well, he's dismantled them. Skaldak's learning. Learning all about you. Your strengths, your weaknesses. Come on." We ran down a passageway. "Stay here."

"Okay." Clara said.

"Stay here. Don't argue." The Doctor asserted.

"I'm not."

The Doctor nodded, "Right. Good." He climbed up a ladder.

"Oh, it's a young man's game, all this dashing about. Clara, what is it?" Grisenko asked as he saw Clara lean up against the wall with an expression of horror mixed sadness.

"I was doing okay. I mean, I went in there and I did the scary stuff, didn't I? I went in there with the Ice Warrior and it went okay. Actually, it went just about as badly as it could have done but that wasn't my fault."

"Not at all."

"So I'm happy about that."

"Yes."

"Chuffed."

"And so you should be. So what's the matter?"

"Seeing those bodies back there. It's all got very real. Are we going to make it?"

"Yes, of course."

The sub creaked and I could hear growling in the distance. "What was that?"

"The Doctor told you, it's just the boat settling. Tell me about yourself. What do you like doing? Clara? Clara?"

"Stuff. You know, stuff."

"Stuff. Very enlightening. And the Doctor, what he said. Is it true you're from another time? From our future? Clara?"

"Yes."

"Tell me what happens."

"I can't."

"Well, I need to know."

Clara shook her head, "I'm not allowed."

"No, please."

"I can't!"

In a serious tone, Grisenko said, "Ultravox, do they split up?"

A small smile crept upon my face.

Clara laughs. "Funny. You're funny."

Then Skaldak grabs her head from above with both arms. Startled, I lept back and yelled, "Clara!"

"Let her go!" Grisenko shoots and Skaldak retreats. "See? I don't just like Western music."

Skaldak grabed Grisenko as the Doctor ran up. "No, please don't hurt him. Please!" I pleaded with Skaldak.

"You attacked me. Martian law decrees that the people of this planet are forfeit. I now have all the information I require. It will take only one missile to begin the process. To end this Cold War."

"Grand Marshal, there is no need for this. Listen to me." The Doctor said, his hands up and open, showing no weapons on him.

"My distress call has not been answered. It will never be answered. My people are dead. They are dust. There is nothing left for me except my revenge."

"There is something left for you, Skaldak. Mercy."

"Mercy?" Skaldak echoed.

The Captain appeared next to The Doctor, breathing hard from running, "You must wear that armour for a reason, my friend. Let's see, shall we?"

"No, Captain, wait!"

"I will do whatever it takes to defend my world, Doctor."

"Yes, great, fine, good, but we are getting somewhere here. We are negotiating. Jaw-jaw not war-war." The Doctor said.

"Churchill?" Grisenko asked The Doctor, still being held by Skaldak.

"Churchill." The Doctor confirmed.

"Very well, we'll negotiate, but from a position of strength." The Captain negotiated.

"Excellent tactical thinking. My congratulations, Captain." Skaldak said.

"Thank you."

"Unfortunately, your position is not, perhaps, as strong as you might hope." Skaldak said.

"What do you mean?" The Doctor breathed. The Ice Warrior's armour entered. Skaldak releases Grisenko and drops into it, "He summoned the armour."

"How did it do that?" Clara asked.

"Sonic tech, Clara." The Doctor answered her, "The song of the Ice Warrior." A submariner empties his rifle at the back of the armoured, "No!" The Doctor yelled.

"My world is dead but now there will be a second red planet. Red with the blood of humanity!" The Warrior roared.

"Skaldak!" The Doctor called, "Skaldak, wait!"

* * *

We ran to the control room. I skidded to a halt as I saw Skaldak hooked into the computer and a missile up on the screen, "No! Skaldak, wait! Wait, wait." The Doctor yelled.

Zhukov eyes widened, "He's arming the warheads!"

"Where is the honour in condemning billions of innocents to death? Five thousand years ago Mars was the centre of a vast empire. The jewel of this solar system. The people of Earth had only just begun to leave their caves. Five thousand years isn't such a long time. They're still just frightened children, still primitive. Who are you to judge them?"

Skaldak unplugged himself, "I am Skaldak! This planet is forfeit under Martian law."

"Then teach them. Teach them, Grand Marshal. Show them another way. Show them there is honour in mercy. Is this how you want history to remember you? Grand Marshal Skaldak, Destroyer of Earth. Because that's what you'll be if you send those missiles. Not a soldier, a murderer. Five billion lives extinguished. No chance for goodbyes. A world snuffed out like a candle flame! All right. All right, Skaldak, you leave me no choice. I'm a Time Lord, Skaldak. I know a thing or two about sonic technology myself." The Doctor ended his speech.

"A threat? You threaten me, Doctor?"

"No. No, not you, all of us. I will blow this sub up before you can even reach that button, Grand Marshal. Blow us all to oblivion."

"You would sacrifice yourself?"

"In a heartbeat."

"Mutually assured destruction."

"Look into my eyes, Skaldak. Look into my eyes and tell me you're capable of doing this. Huh? Can you do that? Dare you do that? Look into my eyes, Skaldak. Come on. Face to face."

"Well, Doctor." The helmet tilts back to reveal the Martian lizard with its lidless eyes. "Which of us shall blink first?"

"Why did you hesitate? Back there, in the dark. You were going to kill this man, remember? I begged you not to, and you listened. Why show compassion then, Skaldak, and not now? The Doctor's right. Billions will die. Mothers, sons, fathers, daughters. Remember that last battle, Skaldak? Your daughter. You sang the songs." Clara spoke.

"Of the Red Snows." Skaldak says.

The submarine shifts and I grabbed hold of a pipe on the wall, "What's happening?" I asked.

"My people live. They have come for me!" Skaldak says.

Zhukov ran over to a computer, "We're rising. We're rising!"

"Six hundred metres. Five fifty." Grisenko called from another.

We heard cracking and scraping and then the sub was still. "We've surfaced. Your people have saved us." The Doctor said.

"Saved me, not you."

"Just go, Skaldak, please. Please, go in peace." The Doctor said. Skaldak is teleported away.

"We did it." Clara cheered, "We did it!"

The Doctor ran a hand through his hair, taking out his sonic, "No. No, no, no, no, no. It's still armed. A single pulse from that ship. I'll destroy us if I have to. I will destroy us if I have to. Show mercy, Skaldak. Come on. Show mercy."

The nuclear trigger disarms and the silos close. The Doctor turns off his sonic screwdriver, "Now we're safe."

Clara hugs him for a long moment, "Ahem. Saved the world, then?"

"Yeah."

"That's what we do."

"Yeah." The Doctor responded.

I looked away.

* * *

We stood on the top of the sub as we looked up at the Martian spaceship. My arms were crossed and I stood a few paces from The Doctor and Clara, still processing how close the world had come to being obliterated. I looked over at Clara and The Doctor who didn't seem to care at all how close of a call it was considering the amount of smiling going on.

"The Tardis!" Clara exclaimed, "Where's the Tardis? You never explained."

"Oh well, don't worry about that." The Doctor said, shaking his head a little.

"Stop saying that. Where is it?" Clara interrogated.

"Yeah. Well, I wasn't to know, was I?"

"Know what?" Clara asked.

The Doctor sighed, "I've been tinkering, breaking her in. I'm allowed."

"What did you do?"

"I reset the HADS." The Doctor whispered.

Clara looked at The Doctor in confusion, though I was also confused as well, "Huh?"

"I reset the HADS."

"The what?" Clara asked.

"The HADS. The Hostile Action Displacement System. If the Tardis comes under attack, gunfire, time winds, the sea, it relocates."

"Oh, Doctor." Clara said.

I started to walk towards the open hatch that led back into the submarine.

"Haven't used it in donkey's years. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Well, never mind, it's bound to turn up somewhere. " His sonic screwdriver starts whirring and he takes it out of his pocket, "Ooo. Ha, see? Right on cue. Brilliant."

"Brilliant." Clara said.

"The Tardis is at the pole."

"Not far, then."

The Doctor sighed, "The South Pole."

Clara smiled, "Ah."

"Could we have a lift?" The Doctor asked Captain Zhukov as The Doctor saluted the Martian spaceship as it flied away. I was now at the hatch, looked back at the small group who were happily chatting among themselves. I sighed. They didn't even notice I wasn't there. I took a deep breath and climbed back into the sub to see how the sub was doing from Grisenko. It was going to be a long trip to The South Pole.

* * *

 ** _Thank you to my favorite:_** _Zaconator and Zackis_


	19. Hide- Part 1

**Hide- Part 1**

I shot up in my bed, gasping for breath, sweat dripping off my face. My sheets were twisted and half hanging off the bed. "Tardis, lights on at half." I gasped, swinging my legs over the side of the bed, using both hands to rest on my knees. I bowed my head and concentrated on breathing. It was only a nightmare.

Dim light spread, lighting up the room, but still casting shadows across the floor. I looked at the clock on the wall, which I set to Drax's time. At home I would be already in my first class of the day.

I sighed and went to shower. After I finished, I changed into black skinny jeans, black boots, maroon tank top and a jean jacket. I braided my hair with small braids, crown style and left the rest down then headed to the console room.

* * *

The Doctor, Clara and I walked up to the house that Major Alec Palmer and Emma Grayling were currently in. The Doctor knocks on the door, grabbed us and pulls us to the side, out of sight of the door.

A man in his late thirties, early forties opened the door. I guessed it was Alec Palmer. The Doctor jumps in front of the door, startling him, "Boo! Hello, I'm looking for a ghost." The Doctor says excitedly.

Alec stars at The Doctor and narrows his eyes, "And you are?"

Clara and I move out from behind The Doctor, "Ghostbusters." Clara said with a smile.

"I'm the Doctor." he holds up his psychic paper and we walked into the house, uninvited.

"Doctor what?" Palmer asks.

"If you like." The Doctor says and shrugged. "And this is Clara and Amelia." The Doctor said and ran over to the tables of equipment that were set up, "Ah, but you are very different. You are Major Alec Palmer. Member of the Baker Street Irregulars, the Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. Specialised in espionage, sabotage and reconnaissance behind enemy lines. You're a talented watercolourist, professor of psychology and ghost hunter. Total pleasure. Massive." The Doctor says, turning to look at Palmer, who looked quite startled that he knew that much information about him.

Emma stepped forward, "Actually, you're wrong. Professor Palmer spent most of the war as a POW."

"Actually, that's a like told by a very brave man involved in very secret operations. The type of man who keeps a Victoria Cross in a box in the attic, eh? But you know that, because you're Emma Grayling, the Professor's companion."

"Assistant."

"It's 1974. You're the assistant and non-objective equipment. Meaning psychic." The Doctor said, explaining the psychic thing to Clara.

"Getting that. Bless you, though." Clara said.

"Relax, Emma. He's Military Intelligence." Palmer said, putting a hand out to calm Emma down, "So, what is all this in aid of?"

"Health and safety. Yeah, the Ministry got wind of what's going on down here. Sent me to check that everything's in order." The Doctor said, lying through his teeth.

Palmer narrowed his eyes, "They don't have the right."

"Don't worry, guv'nor, I'll be out of your hair in five minutes. Oh! Oh, look. Oh, lovely. The ACR 99821. Oh, bliss. Nice action on the toggle switches. You know, I do love a toggle switch. Actually, I like the word toggle. Nice noun. Excellent verb. Oi, don't mess with the settings." The Doctor does a quick sweep with the sonic screwdriver.

"What's that?" Palmer asked.

"Gadget. Health and safety. Classified, I'm afraid. You know, while the backroom boffins work out a few kinks."

"What's it telling you?" I asked, stepping closer to The Doctor.

"It's telling me that you haven't been exposed to any life-threatening transmundane emanations. So, where's the ghost? Show me the ghost. It's ghost time." The Doctor said.

* * *

The Doctor leads the way through the darkened corridor with a three pronged candelabra. The Doctor was in front with Palmer, Emma was next to Clara and I followed behind them.

"I will not have this stolen out from under me, do you understand." Palmer told The Doctor.

"Er, no, not really, sorry."

"I will not have my work stolen, then be fobbed off with a pat on the back and a letter from the Queen. Never again. This is my house, Doctor, and it belongs to me."

"This is actually your house?" Clara asked.

Palmer glanced back at Clara, "It is."

"Sorry. You went to the bank and said, you know that gigantic old haunted house on the moors? The one the dossers are too scared to doss in? The one the birds are too scared to fly over? And then you said, I'd like to buy it, please, with my money." Clara asked, her eyebrows raised.

"Yes, I did, actually."

"That's incredibly brave."

Something in the house creaked, making me tense up.

"Listen, Major, we just need to know what's going on here." The Doctor said to Palmer.

"For the Ministry."

The Doctor smiled, "You know I can't answer that."

Palmer sighed, "Very well, follow me."

* * *

The Doctor takes photographs of himself. Food and drink are already on a collapsible table in the living room, "What's an empathic psychic?" I asked Emma.

"Sometimes I sense feelings, the way a telepath can sense thoughts. Sometimes, though. Not always."

"The most compassionate people you'll ever meet, empathics. And the loneliest. I mean, exposing themselves to all those hidden feelings, all that guilt, pain and sorrow and-" The Doctor continued, not seeing the look on Emma's face.

"Doctor?" Clara warned.

"Yes?"

"Shush."

"Would you care to have a look?" Palmer asked The Doctor. There is a lot of photographs pinned to a board, "Caliburn House is over four hundred years old, but she has been here much longer. The Caliburn Ghast. She's mentioned in local Saxon poetry and parish folk tales. The Wraith of the Lady, the Maiden in the Dark, the Witch of the Well."

"Is she real?" Clara asked, stepping forward to look at the photos, "As in, actually real?"

"Oh, she's real. In the seventeenth century, a local clergyman saw her. He wrote that her presence was accompanied by a dreadful knocking, as if the Devil himself demanded entry. During the war, American airmen stationed here left offerings of tinned Spam. The tins were found in 1965, bricked up in the servants' pantry, along with a number of handwritten notes. Appeals to the Ghast. For the love of God, stop screaming."

"She never changes." I said, looking between all the different photos, "The angle's different, the framing, but she's always in exactly the same position. Why is that?"

Palmer sighed and crossed his arms, "We don't know. She's an objective phenomenon, but objective recording equipment can't detect her-"

"Without the presence of a powerful psychic." The Doctor said, cutting Palmer off.

"Absolutely. Very well done."

"She knows I'm here." Emma said, "I can feel her calling out to me."

"What's she saying?" I asked.

"Help me."

"The Witch of the Well. So where's the well?" The Doctor asked.

"A copy of the oldest plan that we could find. There is no well on the property. None that we could find, anyway." Palmer asked.

The Doctor taps Clara on the head, making her jump and motions to me to come over. I walked over and The Doctor whispered, "You coming?"

"Where?" Clara whispered back.

"To find the ghost."

"Why would I want to do that?"

"Because you want to. Come on."

"Well, I dispute that assertion." Clara said.

"Eh? I'm giving you a face. Can you see me? Look at my face."

Clara glares at The Doctor, "Fine. Dare me."

"I dare you. No takesies backsies." Clara picks up the candelabra and leaves with me following behind her.

'This was not going to end well.' I thought to myself.

* * *

"Say we actually find her. What do we say?" Clara asked after a few moments of walking.

"We ask her how she came to be, whatever she is." The Doctor responded.

"Why?"

"Because I don't know, and ignorance is, what's the opposite of bliss?"

"Carlisle." I said.

"Yes. Yes, Carlisle. Ignorance is Carlisle." The Doctor said as we came across a kitchen.

* * *

There is a big harp in the room, but the music room is mostly empty, "Ah, the music room. The heart of the house. Do you feel anything?"

"No." Clara said in a small voice.

"Your pants are so on fire." The Doctor said as he took out his sonic screwdriver. It stutters.

"Do you feel like you're being watched?" I asked.

"What does being watched feel like? Is it that funny tickly feeling on the back of your neck?"

"Yes." I breathed.

"Then yes, a bit. Well, quite a big bit." The Doctor responded.

I heard wood creaking.

"I think she's here." Clara whispered.

The Doctor is now by a door, but not the one out to the corridor, "Cold spot. Spooky. Cold. Warm. Cold. Warm. Cold. Warm. Cold. Warm. Cold." The Doctor says, moving from that spot out of it and back in it again and again. The Doctor draws a chalk circle around the cold area.

"Doctor? Doctor!" Clara called out.

"What?" The Doctor answered, now by the door to the corridor.

"I'm not happy."

"No." The Doctor said and rushed out of the room.

"Hey!" Clara yelled. Clara and I ran after The Doctor, Clara stepped in the circle as she ran.

* * *

"What was that?" Clara whispered.

I heard a loud slamming noise and suddenly, the candles are blown out. I sucked in my breath, darting my eyes around in the dark.

"Okay, what is that?" Clara asked.

"It's a very loud noise. It's a very loud, very angry noise."

"What's making it?" I whispered, still tense. I rubbed my temple. I was in the process of getting a pounding headache. I would not relax unless I was away from this house.

"I don't know. Are you making it?" The Doctor asked. Then another bang and bang.

"Doctor?" Clara whispered.

The Doctor looked at Clara, "Yes?"

"I may be a teeny, tiny bit terrified."

"Yes?"

"But I'm still a grown-up."

"Mainly, yes, and?"

"There's no need to actually hold my hand." At that, my eyes widened and I looked down at The Doctor's and Clara's hands. The Doctor was not holding her hand. I hated this. I hadn't felt well ever since we left the music room.

"Clara." The Doctor said slowly.

"Yeah?" Clara breathed.

"I'm not holding your hand. The Doctor and Clara look behind them and see nothing. We all screamed and ran down the stairs.

A black circular... thing has appeared, hovering in mid-air in the center of the room. "Has this happened before?" The Doctor asked. As I stepped closer to the black object, the pounding in my head got worse, so I stopped where I was, which was next to the equipment.

"Never." Palmer said, looking at it in shock.

"Camera. Camera!" The Doctor yelled. Clara ran and brought him it. Click, and glass inside the thing cracks. I saw something materialise in front of Emma. I looked around, panicking but no one else seemed to notice but me and her. It was a shiny figure in the woods. My head felt like it was about to explode.

"Doctor?" Clara asked. The Doctor continued to take pictures.

In the distance, I heard a woman scream, "Help me!"

Emma and I stared at each other for a second then we both collapsed, Emma into Palmer's arms and me onto the floor. I hear Clara call, "Doctor!" Then darkness.

* * *

 **A/N: I have posted my first chapter of my next Doctor Who series, _Bred for War_ , if anyone wants to check that out. I don't have a set schedule for posting that story though. ****I have also decided that Parallel Family will be the last story in my Parallel Universe Series.**

 _ **Thanks to Reviewer:** Noxy the Proxy_


	20. Hide- Part 2

**Hide- Part 2**

I groaned as slowly woke up, my head still pounding. I opened my eyes to find myself lying on a couch in the living room in Palmer's house, "Here." Emma Grayling said, handing me a glass of light yellow liquid.

I took a gulp of it and immediately sat up, coughing. "Ugg. What was that?" I asked, my eyes watering.

"Have you never had whiskey before?" Emma asked, taking the glass back and setting it down on a small table next to the couch.

"That was whiskey?" I asked and coughed, "I'm seventeen!"

Emma's eyes widened, "Oh. Sorry 'bout that."

I gave Emma a smile, "It's alright. Do you have any water?"

"Yes, of course." Emma said and went to get another glass from the cabinet on the other side of the room. She poured water from a jug and handed me the glass.

"Thanks." I said, sipping the cold water. I looked around, "Where's The Doctor and Clara?"

"They left. The Doctor said you would be fine until they came back."

I looked down at my glass that was almost empty, "Yeah."

"Do you like him?" Emma asked cautiously.

I looked up at Emma, who had taken a seat in an armchair across from the couch, "Who, The Doctor?"

"Well, who else would I be talking about?"

"Of course not! He already has a wife!" I said, thinking about my parents tales on River Song, 'and a grandchild,' I thought, thinking about Susan. "It's just... he's supposed to be training me and all he ever seems to have time for is Clara. It's Clara this and Clara that. Clara are you okay? Then only a nod in my direction. I've known The Doctor longer. My whole life, actually."

"The Doctor doesn't look that old." Emma said.

My eyes widened slightly and I recognized my mistake, "He's older than he looks. It's part of the perks of our job."

"You mean the Ministry." Emma said.

"Yes." I said. I hated lying to her, "The Ministry."

"What exactly is your job. Mr. Palmer doesn't seem to like anyone working for them." After a minute, "Sorry."

I watched Emma's eyes when she talked about Alec Palmer. She liked him.

I smiled at her, "It's completely understandable. I wouldn't like them either if I was him."

"I thought you worked for them." Emma said, crossing her legs.

"I do." I lied again, "All I'm saying is that I understand why Mr. Palmer doesn't trust us." I noticed how Emma was becoming tense so I stopped, "Do you know why I passed out at the same time you did?"

Emma gradually relaxed again, though she was still a bit tense, "I do not know. I know I can sense... things. Perhaps you can as well."

"Perhaps." I responded. I briefly wondered if it had anything to do with my heritage of being half time-lord.

Mr. Palmer walked into the room from one of the doors that goes into the rest of the house, "Ah, Ms. Harkness, You're up. The Doctor and Ms. Clara left a little while ago."

"I'm aware." I responded.

"Are you two alright?" Mr. Palmer asked, "I understand why you collapsed, Emma. Why did you, Ms. Harkness?"

I looked at Mr. Palmer, "I'm not entirely sure. Though I did get a headache after we left the music room."

We all froze as the door opened and The Doctor and Clara came inside. Emma breathed out. The Doctor handed over a roll of film for developing to Mr. Palmer. Clara walked over to Emma and I with a far away look on her face.

"What's wrong?" Emma asked.

"I just saw something I wish I hadn't." Clara responded.

"What did you see?" Emma asked.

"That everything ends."

"No, not everything. Not love. Not always."

"Right, done. That's it. Gather round, gather round. Roll up, roll up." The Doctor said after Mr. Palmer and The Doctor went to work on the film. They made slides from the negatives.

The Doctor activates the projector with the sonic screwdriver, "The Ghost of Caliburn House. Never changing, trapped in a moment of fear and torment. But, what if she's not? What if she's just trapped somewhere time runs more slowly than it does here? What if a second to her was a hundred thousand years to us? And what if somebody has a magic box. A blue box, probably. What if said somebody could take a snapshot of her, say, every few million years?" Up comes a shot of a dark woman in a white coverall, running, "She's not a ghost. But she's definitely a lost soul. Her name is Hila Tacorian. She's a pioneer, a time traveller, or at least she will be in a few hundred years."

"Time travel's not possible." Palmer argued, "The paradoxes-"

"Resolve themselves, by and large."

"How long has she been alone?" Emma asked, staring at the photos.

"Well, time travel's a funny old thing. I mean, from her perspective, she crash landed three minutes ago."

"Crash landed? Where?" Emma asked.

"She's in a pocket universe. A distorted echo of our own. They happen sometimes but never last for long." The Doctor blows up a blue balloon, then a red one. "Our universe. Hila Tacorian's here, in a pocket universe. You're a lantern, shining across the dimensions, guiding her home, back to the land of the living."

"But what's she running from?" I asked.

"Well, that's the best bit. We don't know yet. Shall we see?" The next slide shows an strange alien creature, "Oh." The creature is hiding behind a tree.

"What is that?" Clara asked.

"I don't know. Still, not to worry." The Doctor said.

"So, what do we do?"

"Not we, you. You save Hila Tacorian because you are Emma Grayling. You are the lantern. The rest of us are just along for the ride, I'm afraid. We need some sturdy rope and a blue crystal from Metebelis Three. Plus some Kendal Mint Cake."

"Come on, Clara, Lia." The Doctor said and we ran to the Tardis. I glanced at Emma on the way out who was looking at Mr. Palmer.

* * *

"Can't you just, you know?" Clara started after we were in the Tardis console room.

"What?" The Doctor asked.

"Fly the Tardis into the parallel universe?"

"Ah, it's not a parallel universe. It's a pocket universe. Plus, it is collapsing. I mean, the Tardis could get in there all right, but entropy would bleed her power sources, you see? Trap her there until the entire universe decayed back into the quantum foam. Which would take about three minutes, give or take, you know."

* * *

A thick silver cable and other wires run from the Tardis into the house. A large crystal is held in a cradle at head height. Clocks have been places around the music room. Emma and Palmer are wearing coats.

"What is that?" Clara asked, talking about the equipment.

"A subset of the Eye of Harmony." The Doctor told her.

"I don't-" Clara started.

"Of course you don't. Be weird if you did. I barely do myself. Right. You, sit down. All the way from Metebelis Three." The Doctor puts a headset with a blue gem in it onto Emma.

"What does it do?" Emma asked.

"It amplifies your natural abilities like a microphone, or a pooper scooper." The Doctor explaned.

"What exactly is this arrangement?" Mr. Palmer asked.

"A psychochronograph."

"Forgive me, but isn't it all a bit well, make do and mend?"

The Doctor puts on a parachute harness. "Non-psychic technology won't work where I'm going. Listen, all I need to do is dive into another dimension, find the time traveller, help her escape the monster. get home before the entire dimension collapses and Bob's your uncle."

"Doctor, will it hurt?" Emma asked.

"No. Well, yes. Probably. A bit. Well, quite a lot. I don't know. It might be agony. To be perfectly honest, I'll be interested to find out." The Doctor said.

Emma looks at Palmer, who nods, "I'm talking to the lost soul that abides in this place. I'm speaking to Hila Tarcorian. The clocks start to go backwards. The Doctor hitches his harness to a thick rope as the black disc appears and a strong wind blows through.

"See? The Witch of the Well! It's a wormhole! A reality well! A door to the echo universe. Ready?" The Doctor called.

"Ready!" Emma yelled back.

"Geronimo!" The Doctor yelled and leaped into the wormhole. The rope unwinds from the winch.

"Doctor!" Clara yelled after him.

"Doctor! Doctor! Come home. Come home!" Emma called into the wormhole, "Doctor! Doctor come home! Doctor, we're here. Doctor! Doctor!" Emma had tears streaming down her cheeks, "I'm not strong enough!"

"Just a few more seconds." Clara pleaded.

Emma screamed and I winced at Emma's pain, rubbing my forehead as a sharp pain pulsed, strangely in time with Emma's screams.

The rope tugs three times and I helped Mr. Palmer reign in the rope. A women, whom I assumed was Hila Tarcorian flew out of the wormhole and landed on the floor. Emma collapsed and the wormhole closed.

"No!" Clara yelled as I rushed over to Emma. "Wake up! Wake up! Open the thing."

Emma blinked open her eyes, "I'm sorry."

Mr. Palmer shushed her, "Don't be sorry. Don't be. What you did-"

"Wasn't enough. She needs to do it again." Clara said forcefully.

"Clara." I said, warningly.

"She can't. Look at her." Mr. Palmer argued with Clara.

"She has to! We can't leave him."

Palmer sighed, "I know that you feel you can't do this, Emma, but look at that woman over there. You saved her. She's only here because of your strength, and so am I."

Clara ran out of the room. 'Probably to the Tardis.' I thought.

"I was as lost as her, but being with you, you gave me a reason to be, Emma. You brought me back from the dead." Palmer said to Emma. Emma puts the headset back on and all of us join hands. Once I joined hands, the pain in my head intensified and I gripped Palmer harder to keep myself upright.

"Doctor." Emma called. The wormhole reopened, "Doctor can you hear me? Doctor! Doctor, we're here. Come home!" A few moments passed by, "Doctor, hurry!" Emma screamed as the Tardis materializes with The Doctor clinging to the outside of it. Morning sunshine shines through the windows. I sighed in relief and leaned up against the wall, my energy spent.

* * *

I took Emma in a side hallway while The Doctor was talking to Clara, Hilda and Palmer. "Emma, I have a theory on why we seemed to why we both passed out at the same time."

Emma crossed her arms and leaned up against the wall, not in an angry way, but more in a keep-yourself-warm kinda way, "Oh, good. Because I have no idea. You're not a medium-psychic, are you?" Emma raised an eyebrow at that part.

I grimaced at the thought of being able to 'communicate' with the dead, "No, I don't think so. In order for me to tell you my theory, you have to swear never to repeat what I say to another person. You can tell Palmer, but just make sure he knows that if he tells anyone, I'll be very, very angry."

Emma swallows. "Yeah, I promise."

I smiled halfway, "Good. I'm part Time-Lord, part human." At Emma's confused look, I clarified, "Part alien."

Emma's eyes widened drastically, "Are you really from the Ministry?"

I winced, "Actually, No. That's just a cover. Though that doesn't really matter right now. I need your opinion on my theory. I have a feeling that The Doctor will ask you a similar question about Clara."

"Clara?" Emma frowned. "Is she an alien too?"

I rolled my eyes, "No, she's human. Very human. But back to my theory. Is it possible that, since you are a psychic, I picked up on your, I don't know, your psychic abilities. Like I could be some sort of receiver using my Time Lord abilities like that?"

"Well, I don't know anything about your, what did you call it, Time-Lord, species. It is quite possible that under the right conditions, your theory could be correct. You visited the music room, the center of the house, before you passed out, right?" I nodded, "That could have intensified your... reaction? I'm only guessing at this point." Emma said, reluctantly.

I let out a tiny laugh, "Yeah, so am I. I guess all I have to do is wait to see if it happens again."

"Amelia!" The Doctor yelled, "Time to go!"

I sighed, "Well..."

"Well." Emma responded, a smile crossing her face and we laughed. "It certainly has been interesting."

"It certainly has." I replied. I walked to the door to the room where everyone else was, I glanced back to Emma who hadn't moved, "Good luck with Palmer." I said with a suggestive smile. Emma blushed and I walked away.

* * *

I watched, next to The Doctor and Clara as Emma hugged Hila goodbye in front of the Tardis, "Where will you go?"

"He can't take me home." Hila said, "History says I went missing."

"But he can change history." Emma protested.

"No, no, no, I can't, actually." The Doctor said, interrupting their conversation, "There are fixed points in time, you see-"

Clara went up to The Doctor, "Hi."

"What?" Clara takes the Doctor away from their conversation and I stepped farther back as Mr. Palmer walked up.

"I knew you were there. I could feel you." Hila said.

"I know."

"Have we?" Hila started to ask.

"We can't have. You haven't even been born yet."

The Doctor got away from Clara and came back to the conversation, "No, you can't have met but she can be your great, great, great, great, great granddaughter. Yours too, of course. But you guessed that already, didn't you." Mr. Palmer and Emma stared at each other and then Hila, "Oh. Apparently not."

"The paradoxes-" Mr. Palmer started.

"Resolve themselves, by and large. That's why the psychic link was so powerful. Blood calling to blood, out of time. Not everything ends. Not love. Not always." The Doctor said.

"Doctor, what about, what about us? Emma and me?" Palmer asked.

"What about you?" The Doctor asked.

"Well, what's supposed to happen? I mean, what do we do now?"

"Hold hands. That's what you're meant to do. Keep doing that and don't let go. That's the secret. "

"Oh, I'm so slow! I am slow. I'm notorious for it. That's always been my problem. But, but I get there in the end. Oh yes." The Doctor said, getting very excited.

"Doctor?" I asked, wondering what he was getting excited about now.

"How do sharks make babies?" The Doctor asked. The Doctor, Clara and I walked away from the Tardis and towards the house.

"Carefully?" Clara replied.

"No, no, no. _Happily!"_

"Sharks don't actually smile. They're just, well, they've got lots and lots of teeth. They're quite easy."

"Exactly. But birds do it, bees do it, even educated fleas do it. Every lonely monster needs a companion."

I noticed movement in the upper window of the house, ""There's two of them?" I breathed out.

"It's the oldest story in the universe, this one or any other. Boy and girl fall in love, get separated by events. War, politics, accidents in time. She's thrown out of the hex, or he's thrown into it. Since then they've been yearning for each other across time and space, across dimensions. This isn't a ghost story, it's a love story!" Then he realizes he has put his arm around Clara's shoulders.

"Sorry." The Doctor ran back to Hila, Emma and Mr. Palmer.

* * *

"I'm sorry! I understand now! I can take you to her! I can take you to a safe place far away from here! You can be together! Well, come on, then. She's waiting!" The Doctor called out into the pocket universe. The creature from the house is next to The Doctor. Clara and I are watching from next to the counsel, "Well, hello again, you old Romeo, you. Now, here she comes."Get ready to jump."

* * *

 ** _Thank You to my favorite:_** _redrosebird_

 **Review:**

 _alwaystherereading:_ Possibly...


	21. Journey TT Center OT Tardis- Part 1

**Important Note: After this chapter I am putting this story on a brief hiatus and then resuming on May 9th, to update every day until it's completion. Just a word of advice for college students, NEVER take more than 20 credits during a semester.**

* * *

 **Journey to the Center of the Tardis- Part 1**

I walked into the counsel room that morning and saw The Doctor already at work on the counsel, Clara standing next to him. It was two months since the creepy house visit and we had many more adventures that we barely managed to survive on. Every single adventure, Clara would do something to piss me off even more than I was already. At this point I barely acknowledged her presence. The Doctor didn't seem to notice or, if he did, to care.

It seemed like The Doctor and Clara were in the process of arguing about something. "You said-" The Doctor started when Clara cut him off.

"I know what I said. I was the one who said it."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow, "You said it was looking at you funny."

"I was tired, overwrought. I didn't mean it. It's an appliance. It does a job." Clara said.

"It's a pretty cool appliance. We're not talking cheese grater here." The Doctor said.

"You're not getting me to talk to your ship. That's properly bonkers." Clara replied, rolling her eyes.

The Doctor patted the console, whispering, "It's okay, it's okay." as I approached. I had learned never to get in the middle of one of their 'spats' because I would end up having to choose a side. The Doctor was correct, of course. The Tardis and i would talk sometimes. She was a full sentient being. Though I did not want to get into another argument with Clara. It seemed like we were at war with each other every time we saw one another since the adventure in that creepy house.

"You're like one of those guys who can't go out with a girl unless his mother approves." Clara snorted.

"It's important to me you get along. I could leave you two alone together."

Clara stepped back, "Now you're creeping me out."

"Take the wheel. Not the wheel. I'll make it easy. Shut it down to basic mode for you." The Doctor said.

I blinked. Was he seriously going to teach Clara how to fly the Tardis before me? A human before me? At least I was part Time Lord. I leaned up against the railing and crossed my arms, wondering when the two of them would notice I was in the room.

Clara folded her arms, "Basic? Because I'm a girl?"

"No." The Doctor said and turned a Key that was labeled, _Smiths_.

The power goes out as soon as Clara operates a control. "What have I done?"

"Er, okay." The Doctor said, in a slightly panicked voice, running around the console.

"Doctor?"

"All the electrical impulses are jammed. I can't get the shields back up. She's completely vulnerable." The Doctor was still checking the systems on the console.

Clara had her hands up and was away from the console. "I swear I just touched it."

The Doctor manages to push up a breaker lever and there is a big bang that rattled the ship. I had to hold onto the railing in order to continue standing. "What the hell did you press, Clara?" I snapped at her, from my position at the railing. This was not how I wanted this day to go.

Startled, Clara whipped her head around and finally noticed me. "Amelia, I-"

"Magnetic hobble-field." The Doctor interrupted Clara. "We're flying right into it. Clara, Amelia, stay by me." The farthest I got was next to Clara, who was next to The Doctor, before I had to grab onto the console to keep from falling over.

"Please tell me there's a button you can press to fix this." Clara pleaded.

The Doctor rolled his eyes, "Oh, yes. Big friendly button."

"You're lying."

"Yep."

"To stop me freaking out?"

"Is it working?"

Clara huffed, "Not so much."

Suddenly a small silver ball rolls along the floor. Clara picks it up and yelps as it burns her hands and she drops it.

A huge BANG follows and huge sparks flew up from around the console, sending Clara and I flying over the railing. There was a burst of pain followed by darkness.

* * *

I groaned as I felt someone shaking me as I slowly came to. "Amelia? Lia?" It was Clara. I groaned again, but this time not because of the pain, and opened my eyes, "What happened?"

"I have no idea." Clara responded as she helped me sit up. I looked at my right ankle and winced. It wasn't supposed to look that twisted. "Yeah. You're ankle is twisted."

I gritted my teeth, "Thank you, Sherlock."

Clara narrowed her eyes at me, "Ever since the Witch in the Well adventure, you've hated me for some reason. Why?"

I was half listening to her and half listening to the Cloister bell which was going off, meaning we were in danger. "Clara, now's not the time to discus weather I hate you or not. The Cloister bells going off which means-"

Clara's eyes widened, finally understanding their current situation, "We're in danger."

"Most importantly, we have no way of contacting The Doctor. And the Tardis is infinite and most definitely alive." Clara opened her mouth to protest. Before she could, I continued, "She is sentient. I can feel her emotions and, at times, communicate directly with her through telepathy." I closed my eyes and reached out with my thoughts, as The Doctor had taught me only yesterday, and tried to reach the Tardis, "Right now, she's in pain." I gasped, clenching my fists together, "So much pain." I snapped out of it, breathing hard.

Clara was staring at me in concern.

"We have to find The Doctor." I breathed out.

"You're hurt!" Clara exclaimed, "You shouldn't walk on that."

"The help me." I snapped, "The sooner we get to The Doctor, the better chance we have of surviving. The Tardis is… unpredictable when she is hurting." I said, remembering my mother's stories of the Year that Never Was and the time the Tardis was pushed into a human and Amy and Rory were trapped inside her.

"If you insist." Clara said, eyeing me warily. She knelt down next to me and allowed me to swing my left hand over her shoulders. I used the wall to help me stand up. I winced as I accidently put pressure on my right ankle, immediately lifting it off the floor.

We made our way, slowly, along the Tardis corridors. Clara and I would take turns calling, "Doctor!" and trying to make our voices carry over the Tardis's Cloister bell. We stopped for a second so that Clara could blow on her burnt palms. I was resting against the wall while Clara stood in the middle of the hall.

"We should try to find Medical." I suggested.

Clara straightened and put her hands down, "I'm fine."

I raised my eyebrows, "If you insist."

We walked a bit more until we came to a door with red flashing lights over the top of it. "Red flashing light means something bad." Clara thought to herself.

"Duh." I said, rolling my eyes.

"Get out of here fast?" Clara continued, "Or possibly, whatever you do, don't open this door." Clara stretched out her hand to the door.

"Clara, what the hell do you think you are-" I yelped as Clara opened the door and there is an explosion within the room, "Red flashing lights always, always, mean BAD!" I yelled.

Clara blinked, "Bad decision."

Clara and I ran, well, painfully ran from from a fireball and I slammed my hand on the button that closes the next bulkhead door that we came across. I let go of clara and leaned up against the wall and slid down it, massaging my ankle. A tiny moan escaped me as my ankle felt as if it were on fire. Clara was bent over, hands on her knees, breathing hard.

My eyes widened as I spotted something on the far wall, "Clara." I said in a warning tone, pointing at the far wall. Clara turned to me looked at my hand and turned to where I was pointing. There, on the wall, were deep claw markings.

"We're in trouble, aren't we." Clara breathed.

Something growls loudly nearby and we both froze and stared at each other, wide eyed.

* * *

After we heard that growl, Clara had quickly helped me up and we started moving, hopefully away from whatever that creature was. We made it to a, rather large, storeroom with a large stone arched doorway. A wooden cradle with stars hanging over the opening and blue circular gallifreyan writing on the side. The Doctor still hadn't taught me the writing yet.

Clara and I looked around the room and Clara picks up a small model of the Tardis from a shelf.

"Clara, something else is in here with us." I hissed as I spotted… something.

Clara was about to pick up a black umbrella when she herself sees the creature, "Oh!"

Clara ran and I staggered out of the room after her.

* * *

"It's still following us!" I yelled to Clara, who was a few paces in front of me.

"Don't you think I know that?!" Clara yelled back.

We passed an observatory with a big victorian telescope, which I had no clue existed, and an open air swimming pool and we ran into the Library. The library has both shelves of books and completely separate shelves of a range of bottles. There are Six stories of this.

"Wow." Clara says, staring around, "Now that's just showing off."

I looked at her, "You've never seen the library before?"

"No. Never had the time."

I snorted, "There's always time when traveling in a time machine, Clara."

* * *

We started to wonder around the library. My ankle continued to feel like it was on fire, which made sense because I hadn't stopped walking or running yet, and I was using Clara like a crutch.

"Amelia?" Clara asked.

I looked at her, "Yes?"

"Why do you hate me? You were fine on our first meeting then on my first proper adventure. After that you've been… well, distantly hostile." Clara said.

I sighed, "You wouldn't understand."

Clara snorted, "I'm on a time machine slash spaceship and that apparently is sentient and we are running from an unknown enemy. I think I can make due."

"Alright." I closed my eyes for a second then opened them, "Right before the trip to Akhaten The Doctor came and asked me if I wanted to become an Apprentice."

"What's an Apprentice?" Clara asked.

"It's like taking up a trade during medieval Europe on Earth. Though, it's The Doctor's job to teach me how to become a proper Time Lord. I haven't officially began my apprenticeship, I'm doing a… trial run first, to make my parent's happy. I get to see them every once and awhile. A true apprenticeship would mean that I would be away from my parents for at least until I come of age, which would be in five hundred years or so."

Clara's mouth hung open. "Five hundred years?"

I nodded. "At five hundred, I become of age or a Time-Five or just Five for short. At a seven hundred I become a full Time Lady and would attend The Academy but…." I trailed off.

"What?" Clara asked and I realized The Doctor had told Clara nothing about his history with the Time Lords.

I took a breath, "There was a war. A BIG war between the Time Lords and The Daleks. Gallifrey was destroyed in the process."

Clara's eyes were wide. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know."

"It's alright. I'm only part Time Lord. I grew up on Drax Three, but a part of me wishes I grew up on Gallifrey."

"Ok. History lesson, check. But why do you hate me so much?"

Clara said that in a tone that made me snap, "Because The Doctor's supposed to be training ME! It's Clara this and Clara that! All the bloody time! And he was going to teach _you_ how to fly the Tardis! That's the right of passage that all Time Lords have to make and he showed a _Human_ before me!" I practically yelled at Clara. At this point I had leaned against the wall, not being helped along by her. I was shaking, my ankle throbbed in pain from standing on it but at that moment, I didn't care.

Clara had her arms by her sides and was staring at me in realization, "Amelia, I'm-"

"It's Lia!" I snapped.

"Lia-" Clara started, her eyes watering.

I heard something clang so softly that I could barely hear it. But it sounded close. My eyes widened in fear, "Shh." I whispered, "The thing's followed us in here." I pushed myself out of a leaning position to a more upright one. We moved around the library to another position, this time we found a large bound book on its own special stand: _**The History of the Time War.**_ I looked at Clara, both our eyes were wide.

Clara flipped open the book to the middle and, surprisingly it was English, "So that's who-" Clara started.

"Clara, we shouldn't be reading this." I said, quickly closing the book.

A clang and growl sounded somewhere deep in the library. We ran to a shelf that had a rack of books to hide from the creature. I heard muffled voices speaking but couldn't make it out properly. We pressed our backs against the rack as a creature passes our isle. One of the bottles from the shelf we were pressed up against tips over, and the words tumble out over our head. Clara and I wafted them away so the creature could not hear.

The creature turns into our isle and makes its way toward is. Clara and I glanced at each other and together we ran for the entrance of the library.

* * *

I was about out of breath when we ran into the console room. I staggered to the railing and sat on the second bar, lifting my right foot off the ground to massage my ankle.

Clara runs to the console, "Oh, thank you. Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you" She kisses the Tardis.

"You're acting like The Doctor." I pointed out.

Clara turns around and in the process her eyes widened and ran back where… the doors were supposed to be? "No! The door. Where's the door gone? No. You can't do this!"

I stood up, leaning heavily on my left leg, "Clara, look down here." I said, staring at another hallway that had appeared, and into another console room.

Clara joins me and we looked at each other, "Oh, why are you doing this?" Clara asked the Tardis. As usually, there was no response.

Seeing an door, one that did not lead to outside the Tardis, Clara went and opened it, trying to figure out what was going on. A creature from earlier is behind it, Clara screams.

"Clara!" I yelled, rushing forward and pulling her back from the creature and around the console, so the console was between us and the creature.

"Who are you?" Clara breathlessly asked the creature, who was shadowlake, but looked like a humanoid.

The creature advanced and I quickly pulled Clara behind me while she screamed. Suddenly Clara's weight on my arm's gone. I glanced behind me and saw a shimmering mirror looking thing. Because of the distraction, I could now feel the creature breathing on the back of my neck and I stiffened. The next thing I knew, I'm pulled through... something and into The Doctor.

"Lia." The Doctor breathed, hugging me.

Surprised, I tensed but awkwardly hugged The Doctor back, "What happened, Doctor?" I asked as The Doctor pulled back, out of the hug.

The Doctor didn't answer but stared at my twisted ankle, "I can fix that."

My eyes widened, "Doctor, don't you dare. We'll take care of it after we figure out what the hell is going on."

Clara walks up and slaps The Doctor. "Ow!" The Doctor exclaims, rubbing his face, "Okay, so we're not doing hugging. I get that now."

"What do you keep in here? Why have you got zombie creatures? Good guys do not have zombie creatures. Rule one basic storytelling." Clara scolded.

"Not in front of the guests." The Doctor whispered.

"Who are they?" I asked, glancing at two, dark skinned, male humanoids. Both had, what looked to be, some sort of uniform, which was a brown jumpsuit and ear devices.

"Friends. Well, people who aren't trying to kill us, so I don't need punching again."

"All right, all right. Look, a deal's a deal. You got your friend's back. Now cancel the self-destruct." One of two men said.

"Ah. Ah. You know, I've got to tell you, I won't be needing you in my quiz team." The Doctor said, just about laughing.

"What?" The same man said.

"There is no self-destruct. Hey? Hey? Hey? Had you going though, boys, didn't I? I just wiggled a few buttons. Yeah, the old wiggly button trick. And the face. You've got to do the face. Save them or we all die. I thought I rushed it a bit, but-"

"So you're telling us we're safe?" The other man said. Boy, I had to learn their names.

The Doctor winced, "Ish. Apart from the monsters and the Tardis reinventing the architecture every five minutes. Guys, don't worry. The countdown's a fake. Look, just give me a second. I'll turn it off. I only made it look as though the engine was actually exploding." The doctor said, checking the console, "Ah. That's not good. Okay, don't panic. Or maybe panic."

"Something you want to share with the rest of us?" Clara asked, crossing her arms.

"It appears the engine is damaged. We're in trouble. Proper trouble. It needs fixing or we're toast."

"So now would be a good time to use that big friendly button, right?" Clara asked.

"Yes. Sorry, I should have had one built in." The Doctor said and started walking to the door and Clara and I followed.

"Where are we going?"

The Doctor glanced back over his shoulder. "Detour."


	22. Journey TT Center OT Tardis- Part 2

**A/N: I finished writing the story quicker than I thought I would. Sorry about the delay, I had college finals to study for and papers write.**

 **Journey to the Center of the Tardis- Part 2**

We ran for a long while, and in every step, I winced in pain. As we ran, I learned the names of our two guests, Tricky and Gregor. Tricky, I learned, was a robot. We came to an opening and ran down the stairs The Doctor sonicks open a hexagonal panel, "The centre of the Tardis."

We stepped through the panel and started down the corridor. The Doctor is scanning with his sonic as he leads us down the corridor. Something flashes across the corridor. "Hush. Something's in here." Clara said.

"Those things, they've followed us." Tricky breathed.

I looked at The Doctor. "Doctor, what are they? What aren't you telling us?"

"Trust me. Some things you don't want to know." The Doctor said.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something crosses behind us, "They're on the move again." Gregor said.

"Run. Move, move." The Doctor yells and we all started running. I started to fall behind because of my leg. Clara notices and lags behind as well. After a couple more moments, we got separated again.

"Doctor? Doctor?" Clara called, "Again." Clara groaned. The burn on her hand is becoming clearer - mirror writing.

"Clara, there's writing on your hand." I pointed out. She glanced at me and shhed me.

"I know what I said. I was the one who said it." Came an echo of Clara's voice.

"You said it was looking at you funny." An echo of The Doctor's voice.

"Now you're creeping me out. Please tell me there is a button you can press to fix this?" Past clara said.

Clara and I round the corner to see The Doctor, facing away from us. "Oh, thank god. Doctor, what's going on? Say something."

"Clara, something's wrong." I said as she inched forward.

"Clara, Lia, stop." We both jumped and whorled around to face The Doctor. I looked between both of the figures "Don't touch it. There's a rupture in time somewhere on board the ship. A small tear in the fabric of the continuum. It must have happened when the Tardis was pulled in by the salvage vessel. The Tardis is leaking."

"Leaking what?" I asked.

The Doctor leads us along corridors, "The past. You, me, Clara. Everything we've done, everything we've said. Recent history. It's not real. It's a memory."

We came across a single bodied glowing red eyed creature, "What about this?" I asked.

"If you're giving me the option, I'd say this one's real." We ran and it chases us.

"She's right on to us." The Doctor yells.

"She?" Clara yelled back.

"Clara, don't ask me any more."

"You're like one of those guys who can't go out with a girl unless his mother approves." Past Clara says.

"It's important to me you get along." Past Doctor say. The creature follows the echo people. There is a banging sound.

"What's that noise?" Clara asked.

The Doctor looked at the ceiling, "We're right under the primary fuel cells."

"So? So, so what?" Clara asked.

"So, so the fuel's spilled out, so the rods will be exposed. Means they'll cool-"

My eyes widened, "And start to warp."

"And start to warp." The Doctor says, nodding, "Maybe even-"

"No, you don't say it. Don't you dare say it." I said as The Doctor looked at me with 'that' look that meant we could all die.

"Maybe even break apart." A rod flies through the walls just in front of us and I jumped back, staring at the rod. That had been too close for my comfort.

"Run?" Clara asked.

The Doctor tried to smile, "I'm liking how you're thinking."

"Yeah." Clara said, with a glance to me. We ran forward as more rods pierce the corridors from different angles. Up ahead, someone screams. Tricky has been speared by a rod through his shoulder.

"Tricky, oh Drax." I said, using a curse word that I learned on Drax Three and knelt down next to him. My twisted ankle felt suddenly unimportant as Tricky stared at the metal rod that went through his shoulder.

"Cut it off. Just cut my arm off." Tricky said, groaning.

Gregor shook his head, "No."

"It's the quickest way to release me. No fear, no hate, no pain. I can get a new one. Disposable parts. Just do it. It won't hurt me."

Gregor looked like he was about to have a panic attack, "Tricky, you just don't understand."

"I'm an android. Cut me!" Tricky yelled.

"You made it through." Clara said.

"What's the matter with you? Why won't you cut me?" Tricky asked as Gregor was close to tears.

The Doctor glared at Gregor, "Tell him."

Tricky looked confuse, "Tell me what?"

Gregor looked down to the floor, not answering so The Doctor said, "You can't, can you. You're a coward. You won't save him, but you're scared to tell him why."

Tricky stared at Gregor, "What's he going on about?"

"Robots don't need blast suits. They don't need respirators. They don't get frightened of monsters in the dark." The Doctor said. My eyes widened as I listened to The Doctor talking. He wasn't a robot. I put my hand on Tricky's good shoulder, trying to calm him down.

"What's he talking about?"

"Two bionic eyes and a synthetic voice box. But you, my friend, are human. Flesh and blood." The Doctor said.

"It was a joke." Gregor mumbled.

"What?" Tricky gaped at Gregor.

Gregor continued, "It was just a stupid joke. We did it to relieve the boredom."

"Well, it was very funny. They lied to you. Changed your identity just to provide some in-flight entertainment." The Doctor said.

Gregor hung his head, "I'm sorry. You're human, Tricky."

"Cut the metal. Cut the metal! Go!" The Doctor commanded.

* * *

After Gregor had cut the mettle, we continued walking "Where are we?"

The Doctor didn't even glance in his direction, "Power source. Right, you lot, wait here. I'll check it's safe. We can only survive for a minute or two in there."

"Er, what happens if we stay longer?" Clara asked.

"Our cells with liquefy and our skin will start to burn." The Doctor answered.

"I always feel so good after we've spoken." Clara says and I snorted, actually finding it funny. Clara glances at me and gives me a grim smile.

"Marvellous. Keep this door shut."

"That will not be a problem."

The Doctor enters the room. Gregor scans Clara.

"Lancashire. Sass." The Computer said.

"Intelligent sensor." Gregory said, shaking the little device in his hand. He then scanned me.

"Origin Unknown. Intelligence… Unknown." The computer said.

"Unknown? But I was born on Earth." I said as Clara frowned.

"Ever pointed that thing at yourself, Gregor? What would it see? What sort of person does this to another human? Made them believe they're made of metal. Who am I?" Tricky yelled. Gregor rips a patch off his suit. Van Baalen Bros.

"My mouthy little kid brother." Gregor said.

"Why, why can't I remember?"

Gregor sighed, "It was a salvage accident. There was a big explosion. You lost your sight, voice and your memory."

"And you, you thought of a way you could have some fun with me? I just wanted a brother beside me!"

"You were always the smart one, Tricky. He wanted you to take over. He made you captain."

I saw confusion spread across his face, "He?"

Gregor looked down, "Dad."

"I don't remember him. You did this to me just to be captain of a heap of junk!" Tricky attacks Gregor.

"Stop! Tricky, listen to me. Ask yourself why he couldn't cut you up. He has just one tiny scrap of decency left in him, and you helped him find that, okay? Now you. Don't ever forget this." The Doctor said.

We ran through the door and into a room with a very orangish atmosphere and a chasm with a catwalk across it to the other side. "Okay, move, move, move!" The Doctor yelled. We all ran onto the catwalk. "The Eye of Harmony. Exploding star in the act of becoming a black hole. Time Lord engineering. You rip the star from its orbit, suspend it in a permanent state of decay. This way, quickly."

There is a creature behind the other door. And the female is at the one they have just come through.

"There's no way out. We're trapped." Gregor said, panicking.

"You're going to tell me right now. If we're going to die here, you're going to tell me what they are." Clara said.

"I can't."

"Tell me. Tell us." Clara corrected with a glance in my direction, " What's the use in secrets now?"

"Secrets protect us. Secrets make us safe."

"We're not safe!" Clara yelled.

"Sensor detects animal DNA. Human core element. Calculating data. Calculating data." The computer said as Gregor started to scan the creatures.

"No, no, turn it off!" The Doctor yelled.

"Lancashire. Sass. Identifiable substance. Clara." The Computer says.

"That's me." Clara said, staring at device Gregor held in his hands.

"I'm so sorry." The Doctor says.

"It's me. I burn in here." Clara said, shocked.

"It isn't just the past leaking out through the time rift. It's the future. Listen, I brought you here to keep you safe, but it happened again. You died again."

"What do you mean, again?" Clara asked sharply.

Tricky and Gregor are trying to keep the door closed against another creature.

"Hang on. As long as we can interrupt the timeline, this can't happen. Don't touch each other, otherwise the future will reassert itself." He pulls them back, and the creature breaks in. It claws at Gregor's backpack with the light bulb in it.

"Gregor, Gregor, let go of the circuit!" The Doctor yells.

"Just let it go." Tricky pleads.

"Gregor, Gregor." Tricky knocks this creature off the catwalk. Presumably it is future burnt Doctor or maybe Bram, although he is already dead. Then the conjoined creature and burnt Clara break in.

"Okay. Er, er-" The Doctor says, unsure of what to do. Tricky attacks the conjoined creature, kicking it off the catwalk. He is left dangling.

"Tricky!" Gregor yelled.

"Doctor?" I asked, wanting to help.

"No, don't touch him, or time will reassert itself." Gregor pulls Tricky up onto the catwalk and they change into the conjoined creature.

The Doctor, Clara and I ran into another room. "The engine room. The heart of the Tardis." We ran forward to the edge of a cliff.

"We're outside." Clara breathed.

"No, we're still in the Tardis." I said.

"Correct, Lia." The Doctor said with a nod.

"There's no way across."

"No, okay, you're right."

"So what do we do?" I asked, "Time for a plan. Do you have a plan?"

"Well, no. No plan. Sorry." The Doctor said.

"If you don't have a plan, we're dead."

"Yes, we are. So just tell me."

Clara looked at him, confused. "Tell you what?"

"Well, there's no point now. We're about to die. Just tell me who you are."

Clara looked at me and I tried very hard to keep my expression blank, "You know who I am."

"No, I don't. I look at you every single day and I don't understand a thing about you. Why do I keep running into you?"

"Doctor, you invited me. You said-"

"Before that. I met you in the Dalek Asylum. There was a girl in a shipwreck and she died saving my life, and she was you."

Clara shook her head, "She really wasn't."

"Victorian London. There was a governess who was really a barmaid, and we fought the Great Intelligence together. She died and it was my fault, and she was you." The Doctor continued, advancing on Clara.

"You're scaring me,"

"What are you, eh? Are you a trick, a trap?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Clara says taking a step back and nearly steps back off the edge of the cliff. The Doctor grabs her and holds her tight in his arms.

"You really don't, do you."

"I think I'm more scared of you right now than anything else on that Tardis." Clara responded.

"You're just Clara, aren't you." The Doctor hugs her again and I watched.

"Okay, I don't know what the hell this is about, but the hug is really nice."

"We're not going to die here. This isn't real! It's a snarl."

"What?" Clara asked.

"What does a wounded animal do? It tries to scare everyone away. We're close to the engine. The Tardis is snarling at us, trying to frighten us off. We need to jump."

Clara pulled back, out of The Doctor's arms, "You're insane."

"We'll cross a portal to the engine."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I can't."

"Okay, well, that's watertight." Clara snapped.

"Hey now, Clara, I have piloted this ship for over nine hundred years. Trust me this one time, please. Okay. Okay. As well as all the other times. Lia? Ready?" The Doctor grabs Clara's hand and then grabbed mine, "Geronimo."

Even though I thought this was an insane idea, we ran and jumped off the edge of the cliff into a white space filled with pieces of metal frozen in time as we travel out from an explosion. "The heart of the Tardis. The engine, it's already exploded. It must have been the collision with the salvage ship."

"We're not dead."

"She wrapped her hands around the force. Froze it."

"So, so it's safe?" I asked.

"Temporary fix. Eventually this whole place will erupt. There's no way I can save her now. She's just always been there for me, and taken care of me, and now it's my turn and I don't know what to do. I think it just- Clara takes his hand, and he sees the burn marks on it, "Oh, Clara. Oh." I looked at the mirror wording which now read _**Big Friendly Button**_ on it. "You are beautiful. Beautiful fragile human skin. Like parchment. Thank you. The rift in time. All the memories leaking out. I need to find the moment we crashed. I need to find the music."

* * *

We were under the time console. There is a vertical crack in the wall with bright light streaming through. "The time rift. Recent past, possible future."

"What are you going to do?" I asked, stepping forward.

"Rewrite today, I hope." The Doctor He uses the sonic screwdriver to etch the letters onto the grenade from earlier, "I've thrown this through the rift before. I need to make sure this time. Going to take it in there myself. There might be a certain amount of yelling."

"It's going to hurt?" Clara asked cautiously.

"Things that end your life often do that."

"Wait! All those things you said. How we've met before, how I died."

The Doctor smiled at Clara, "Clara, don't worry. You'll forget. Time mends us. It can mend anything."

"I don't want to forget. Not all of it. The library. I saw it. You were mentioned in a book."

"I'm mentioned in a lot of books."

"You call yourself Doctor. Why do you do that? You have a name. I've seen it. In one corner of that tiny-"

"If I rewrite today, you won't remember." The Doctor said, "You won't go looking for my name."

"You'll still have secrets."

The Doctor smiled sadly, "It's better that way." The Doctor forces his way through the crack in the wall, screaming as he pushes against an immense force until he suddenly vanishes.

* * *

Clara is drying her hair as she walked into the console room and I was leaning up against the railing, feeling drained for some odd reason. "I feel exhausted. I feel-" Clara started.

"We've had two days crammed into the space of one." The Doctor responded. Once The Doctor said that, my brain felt like it was going to explode. And I remembered what had happened. I rubbed my right temple. "Are you alright Amelia?"

I glanced up and saw The Doctor looking at me with some concern, "Yeah. Fine. Just a headache." I replied, straightening up and walking over beside the console.

"Why would you say that?" Clara asked, looking at The Doctor, as if I hadn't even spoken.

"I don't know. I say stuff. Ignore me. Do you feel safe?" The Doctor asked.

"Of course."

"Give me a number out of ten. Ten being whoo hoo, one being argh."

Clara eyed The Doctor, "You're being weird."

"I need to know if you feel safe. I need to know you're not afraid."

"Of?"

"The future. Running away with a spaceman in a box. Anything could happen to you." The Doctor said, staring at Clara.

Clara smiled, "That's what I'm counting on. Push the button."


	23. The Crimson Horror- Part 1

**The Crimson Horror- Part 1**

The Doctor, Clara and I stepped out into a cobbled alleyway, "Doctor, I don't think this is London." I said, looking around me at the darkened alleyway. Clara was wearing a victorian London style dress, which reminded me of Victorian Clara. I was wearing a tight black victorian dress that bunched up at my waist and flowed straight down to my ankles, not poofing out around them. My hair was braided in a single braid that was wrapped around the back of my head to form a braided bun.

The Doctor sniffed the air and glanced at me, "Correct, Lia. It's Yorkshire 1893 not London 1893." The Doctor shrugged, "Near enough."

"You're making a habit of this, getting us lost." Clara put in as we walked forward.

"Sorry. It's much better than it used to be. Ooo, I once spent a hell of a long time trying to get a gobby Australian to Heathrow Airport."

"What for?" I asked.

The Doctor shrugged, "Search me. Anyway-" The Doctor is cut off as a woman screamed.

"Brave heart, Clara, Lia."

* * *

The Doctor was looking at a body of a woman while Clara and I watched from a good ways back. We were standing next to the canal.

"It's another one. Don't you see? Another victim. Why won't anyone of you listen?" Edmund asked, frustrated.

The Doctor looked at Edmund from his crouched position by the body, "We'll listen."

* * *

We followed Edmund to get our first look at Sweetville, though we were only allowed to look through the main gaits, which were closed. "Mrs Winifred Gillyflower. An astonishing woman. Prize winning chemist and mechanical engineer. So why-"

The Doctor cut Edmund off, "Why has she decided to open up a match factory in her old home town?"

"And no one who ever goes to live there ever seems to come out." Edmund said.

We were now at the morgue. Three mettle autopsy tables were currently holding bodies with white sheets draped across them, except for the body we were looking at.

"Same as the rest. All dead from causes unknown and their flesh glowing." Edmund said.

* * *

"Like something manky in a coal cellar." Amos said. "They keep turning up in t'canal. The Crimson Horror."

"Ooo, good name. Hey, that's good, isn't it? The Crimson Horror. I wonder what it is. Do you know the old Romany superstition, Amelia, Clara? That the eye of a dead person retains an image of the last thing it sees. Nonsense, of course, unless the chemical composition of the body has been massively corrupted."

Clara uses the Doctor's magnifying glass to look at the face of Mrs Gillyflower in the dead woman's eye. The Doctor touches her skin and the red comes off onto his white glove. He uses someone's chemistry lab. "Wow, this is nasty. An organic poison. A sort of venom. And you think it's connected to Sweetville?"

Edmund drew himself up to his full hight, "I do."

The Doctor looks at Clara and I then back at Edmund, "Well then, we need a plan."

* * *

We visited Mrs Gillyflower at home, "Doctor, Mrs Smith and Ms. Harkness. Oh yes, you'll do very nicely."

The Doctor tried his best at a Yorkshireman accent which I could barely contain my laughter at. "Oh, grand. Smashing. Eh, the missis and I couldn't be more chuffed, could we, love?" The Doctor said and Clara nodded.

I bobbed my head, "Thank you ma'am for allowing us to join your village." I said in fake politeness.

Mrs Gillyflower lead us down the row of terraced homes. "Sweetville will provide you with everything you need. You won't have to worry about a thing ever again."

"The name, Sweetville." Clara started.

Mrs. Gillyflower looked at her, "Yes?"

"Why not name it after yourself. After all, it's your creation."

"Gillyflowertown. Gillyflowerland. You could have roller coasters." The Doctor said.

Mrs. Gillyflower straightened, "It is named in tribute to my partner."

"Your late partner?"

She shook her head, "No, my silent partner. Mister Sweet likes to keep himself to himself. Shall we move on?"

"Who lives here?" I asked, noticed that it was curiously silent.

"Oh, names don't matter here. All you need to know is we only recruit the brightest and the best." Mrs. Gillyflower opened a front door to reveal a single living room. The man and woman are seated at a tea table, under a giant bell jar. A pump is providing air into in.

An army of men and women come for us. I started to fight them, but I adventually got overwhelmed and suddenly everything was dark.

* * *

I woke up suddenly to being dunked in a strange red liquid. I screamed as I panicked and passed out as I went under.

I woke up not being able to move. If I tried, pain shot through me. The only thing I could do was listen. My hearts almost stopped as I heard Mrs. Gillyflower talking, "Like pretty maids all in a row. The process improves with every attempt. Mister Sweet is such a clever old thing. Oh, into the canal with the rejects, Ada."

"Yes." Ada replied.

I tried my hardest and let out a small painful moan as I moved my hand to take Ada's, trying to tell her not to take me.

"Ma." Ada says. No one answers.

* * *

I was taken, painfully, to a room and shackled to chains. 'Dammit' I thought. 'This wasn't what I wanted her to do.' I slowly opened my eyes during this process.

"Sometimes the preservation process goes wrong." Ada was saying, "Only Mister Sweet knows why, and only Mama is allowed to talk to Mister Sweet. But if you're very good, you can stay here. You'll be my secret. My special monster." I moaned, trying to ask her where The Doctor was, "Shush."

My cloths that I was wearing was left beside me.

After a few days of not doing anything besides sitting and wishing I had food, Edmund suddenly burst into the room.

* * *

After Ada had removed Edmund from the room, I suspected that he was going to get the same process as I had then dumped in the river if he didn't survive. I let out a tiny moan. I wished The Doctor would come, but it had been three weeks. No sign of him or Clara. That was what had me worried.

Now I tended to bang on the floor with my chains to annoy anyone who came by. It was really the only thing I could do, chained up.

I heard footsteps come up the steps to the room I was in. It was weird. Those didn't sound like Ada's footsteps. Curiously, I painfully walked forward and waited at the door. Someone raised the hatch and I took my chance and reached out to grab their hand. The hand struggled free of my grip and the hatch slid shut.

"All right, mate. You just stay calm now." My eyes widened, that sounded like Jenny. I moved back from the door, so that I didn't startle her, dragging my chains along with me. "I could open this door. Would you like that?" Jenny asked. I painfully picked up my chains and dropped them on the floor to make a thud sound. "Thought you might. But you and me has got to come to an arrangement. Savvy?" I dropped the chains again to make another thud. "Now, you stand well back, do you hear me? I don't mean no harm to you, but you try anything funny and I'll leave you here to rot. Is that understood?" I dropped the chains twice. "Right."

The door opened to reveal Jenny, "Amelia!" Jenny gasped. I let out a tiny moan. Jenny came closer and touched my skin and pulled back sharply, "Right. Right, we're getting out of here. Where's The Doctor?"

I let out a moan.

"You don't know?" Jenny guessed.

I moaned again.

"Okay." Jenny said and knelt down to pick the locks on my chains. They fell off and Jenny grabbed my clothes while guiding me to the door and helped me down the stairs. After a few minutes of walking we were walking through a factory corridor. "Come on." Jenny muttered, watching the lift slowly move up. "Come on!" The lift opens and Ada walks out.

Jenny guides me a different way into a very familiar room. Through a window, Jenny and I watched people on a frame being manoeuvred over a large vat of bubbling red liquid, then lowered in, "Oh my gawd." Jenny breathed. I struggled, ignoring the pain, to point at a door behind us.

"What is it? You want to go in there?" Jenny asked. I moaned while Jenny opened the door. I pressed a couple buttons on the outside of the small space before going into it. Jenny gives me my clothes and shut the door and hides as two men walk past the entrance.

A green glow lights up the room and I sighed as the pink-red skin was removed. "Huh. I didn't think that would work." I said to myself while getting dressed. I then fixed my hair. I opened the door to see Jenny staring at me as I came out, "Oh, that was uncomfortable." I said, rubbing my back. "And it hurt."

"Amelia!" Jenny exclaimed, coming forward and hugging me. "Are you alright?"

I smiled and hugged back, "Thank you so much, Jenny."

We let go of each other and Jenny asked, "Where's The Doctor."

My face fell, "I don't know. We have to find Clara as well."

"Clara?" Jenny said, puzzled.

I sighed. "Yes, Clara. It's hard to explain. But I'll say it's timey-wimey."

"What happened to you? How long have you been like that?"

"Days, weeks, don't know. Long story. I'll keep it short. We've got to keep moving. I doubt it will take long for Ada to realize I'm missing." I said, taking Jenny's hand and pulling her down the corridor, telling her how I came to be in that room.

* * *

"Edmund must have come looking for us and then fallen into a vat of the pure venom. Or was pushed. Didn't stand a chance." I said, finishing my tale.

"What is that stuff, though?"

"The Doctor figured it to be deadly poison. And Mrs Gillyflower's been dipping her pilgrims in a dilute form to protect them. Preserve them. Process didn't work on me. Maybe because I'm not fully human. I ended up on the reject pile."

"Preserve them against what?" Jenny asked.

I sighed, "Well, according to her, the coming apocalypse." I made the 'cu-koo' gesture by the side of my head.

"When the End of Days is come and judgement rains down upon us all." Jenny muttered.

I glanced sharply at her, "What?"

Jenny shook her head, "Nothing."

I stopped walking, "No, no, no. What?"

Jenny stopped as well, "Something Mrs Gillyflower said. One of her sermons. Madame will come looking for me. We'd best get on."

"Yes, The Doctor and Clara."

"But, Doctor." Jenny stuttered. "Clara's dead. Isn't she?"

I sighed, "It's complicated. Its best if you just see."

* * *

"Are we talking about the same person? About that Clara? Amelia!" Jenny whispered yelled at me as I ran over to a house and looked inside. No Doctor or Clara.

"I couldn't see much from where I was, but I think The Doctor and Clara survived the process. They must be here somewhere."

"But Clara died. The Ice Lady? Amelia." Jenny said, following me.

"Well, it's er, it's really complicated." I said.

I ran into another house to see Clara sitting in a chair, frozen, with The Doctor standing next to her. I grabbed a chair and threw it at the glass, breaking it.

"Come on." I said to a stunned Jenny who was staring at Clara. "Help me carry them."

* * *

We put The Doctor into the same small cubicle I was in then Clara into the other one. "Can they be revived, like you were?" Jenny asked.

"I hope so."

Pilgrims enter. "Lia." Jenny called in a warning tone. I looked around to see a group of people coming from the end of the hallway toward us.

"Oh, great. Great. Time for a plan."

"Nah, Amelia. This one's on me." Jenny removed her bonnet and dress to reveal a tight all leather outfit. She deals with the three male pilgrims in three moves.

"That is a plan." I said, watching Jenny fight.

More pilgrims advance, with rounders bats. "Okay, time for a new plan. Run!"

"Sontar ha!" Came Strax's voice and he enters, dressed in his Sontaran armour, firing his honking big gun. The pilgrims flee. Vastra is close behind with a sword. "Let's go."

"No, ma'am. We're not escaping. We've got to help Amelia with The Doctor and Clara."

"Long story." I said. "Very long story."

"What now, madam? We could lay mimetic cluster mines." Strax said.

"Strax." Vastra scolded.

"Or dig trenches and fill them with acid."

"Strax! You're overexcited. Have you been eating Miss Jenny's sherbet fancies again?"

"No."

Vastra sighed, "Go outside and wait for me until I call for you."

"But madam, I-"

"Go!"

"I'm going to go play with my grenades." Strax muttered as he left.


	24. The Crimson Horror- Part 2

**The Crimson Horror- Part 2**

"Okay, I think they're about done." I said, "Jenny, open Clara's door. I got The Doctor."

I opened The Doctor's door while Jenny opened Clara's. The Doctor stumbled out and I caught and uprighted him. "Doctor." I breathed.

"Amelia." The Doctor said, hugging me. "Ugg." The Doctor groaned. "You're mum's going to kill me."

I grinned mischievously, "She doesn't have to find out."

The Doctor laughed. "What about Clara."

"Doctor." Clara groaned as she stepped closer to The Doctor. "Hi. What's going on?"

"Oh, haven't you heard, love? There's trouble at mill. She's a lizard."

* * *

"My people once ruled this world, as well you know, but we did not rule it alone. Just as humanity fights a daily battle against nature, so did we. And our greatest plague, the most virulent enemy, was the repulsive red leech." Vastra said.

"Ooo, the Repulsive Red Leech. Nah. On balance I think I prefer the Crimson Horror. What was it, exactly?" The Doctor asked.

"A tiny parasite. It infected our drinking water. And once in our systems, it secreted a fatal poison." Vastra replied.

"If it's been hanging around, lurking in the shadows, maybe it's evolved. Or maybe it's had help."

"Doctor, I've been thinking. The chimney-" I started.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Way past that now. Yucky red parasite from the time of the dinosaurs pitches up in Victorian Yorkshire. Didn't see that one coming."

"Yeah, but the chimney-" I tried to start again before The Doctor interrupted again.

"But what's the connection to Mrs Gillyflower? Judgement will rain down on us all. An empty mill."

"A chimney that doesn't blow smoke." Clara said.

"Clever clogs." The Doctor said.

"Missed me?" Clara asked, grinning.

The Doctor smiled back. "Yeah, lots."

I fell back next to Jenny, who glanced at me with concern. I shook my head.

* * *

We were now in a boiler room. "She's going to poison the air." The Doctor said.

"How?" Jenny asked.

A pilgrim pulls a lever. They are looking at the base of a rocket. "With that, I should think." Clara said.

"And there's the poison. All right, gang, I've got a plan." We stood up and something metal clatters. They duck down as the pilgrims turn towards the sound, "Shush. Okay." Mrs Gillyflower pulls out the stops on a small pipe organ then presses a lever. The contraption turns to present a control board to her.

* * *

Ada is crying in the corner of the room that I was held in when I entered the room with The Doctor behind me. Clara was waiting with Jenny and Vastra. "Who is that? Who is there?" Ada asked. I took Ada's hand and held it in mine. "It's You. It's you. My monster. You've come back. But you're-"

"Warm." I replied, "And alive, thanks to you, Ada. You saved me from your mother's trash tip. Now then, what's wrong?" I asked, kneeling beside her.

"She does not want me, monster. I am not to be chosen. Perhaps it was my own sin, the blackness in my heart that my father saw in me."

"Ada, no. That's nonsense. Stupid, backward nonsense, and you know it. You know it."

"What is it?" The Doctor asked.

Ada stiffened, "Who is that?"

"I'm, I'm a friend. A friend of hers."

"Then you are fortunate indeed. It isn't good to be alone." Ada replied.

"Now, Ada, I need you to tell me something. Who is Mister Sweet? Ada?" I asked.

"Oh, dear monster-"

"Please, tell me."

Ada shook her head, "I cannot. Even now, I cannot. I cannot betray Mama."

I glanced at The Doctor and he nodded, I went on to say, "Well, come with us, then. There's something you need to know."

* * *

We were in the Drawing room. "Oh, you do seem to keep turning up like a bad penny, young man."

The Doctor shrugged, "Force of habit."

"Can I offer you something? Tea? Seed cake? Oh, a glass of Amontillado?" Mrs. Gillyflower asked.

"No, thanks. We've had a skinful already, as you might say."

"Ha, ha. Very funny."

"Yes. I'm the Doctor, you're nuts and I'm going to stop you."

Mrs. Gillyflower snorted. "I'm afraid Mister Sweet and I cannot allow that."

"Ah, yes. Would it be impolite to ask why you and Mister Sweet are petrifying your workforce with diluted prehistoric leech venom?"

"So when do we get to meet him, this silent partner of yours? Why's he so shy?" Clara asked, stepping forward.

Mrs. Gillyflower smirked, "Mister Sweet is always with us."

"You seem to have a very close relationship, you and your pal."

"Oh yes, Doctor. Exceedingly close. Symbiotic, you might say." She opens the top of her dress to reveal a large red leech attached to her skin.

"Doctor, what is it?" I asked.

"A survivor. He has grown fat on the filth humanity has pumped into the rivers. That's where I found him."

"Very enterprising."

"His needs are simple, and in return he gives me his nectar."

" Mrs Gillyflower, you have no idea what you are dealing with. In the wrong hands, that venom could wipe out all life on this planet." The Doctor spat.

Mrs Gillyflower holds out her hands, "Do you know what these are? Ha, ha! The wrong hands." She goes to the control panel and pulls a lever. Red lights come on all the way up the factory chimney.

"Planning a little fireworks party, are we?" The Doctor asked.

"You have forced me to advance the Great Work somewhat, Doctor, but my colossal scheme remains as it was. My rocket will explode high in the atmosphere, raining down Mister Sweet's beneficence onto all humanity."

"And wiping us all out. You can't!" Clara yelled.

"My new Adam and Eves will sleep for but a few months before stepping out into a golden dawn. Is it not beautiful, Doctor?"

"Now, tell us about Ada, Mrs Gillyflower."

"What?"

The Doctor nodded, "Your daughter. You do remember your daughter? Tell us about your daughter."

"How can you speak of such trivia when my hour is at hand? The child is of no consequence." Mrs. Gillyflower laughed weekly.

"Is that why you experimented on her?"

"Experimented?" I asked sharply.

"The signs are all there. The pattern of scarring. You used her as a guinea pig, didn't you."

"God." Clara said, covering her mouth.

"Sometimes sacrifices must be made."

"Sacrifices?"

"It was necessary. I had to find out how much of the venom would produce an anti-toxin to immunise myself. Don't you see? It was necessary!"

Ada walks into the room, "Mama? Is it, is it true?"

"Ada."

"It is. It's true. True." Ada said painfully.

"Ada, listen to me."

"You hag! You perfidious hag! You virago! You harpy! All these years I have helped you, served you, looked after you. Do they count for nothing, nothing at all?" Ada starts slashing at her mother with her white stick.

"No, stop. Stop."

Clara runs forward.

"Hang on, I've got a sonic screwdriver."

"Yeah? I've got a chair!" Clara smashes it into the control panel, with a satisfying shower of sparks.

"No!" Mrs. Gillyflower yelled.

"Yeah. That worked. I'm afraid your rocket isn't going anywhere, Mrs G." The Doctor scolded.

"Please, come to me, Ada. Oh, my child. You have always been so very useful." Mrs Gillyflower puts a small revolver to Ada's head.

We all froze, "No, Mrs Gillyflower."

"Please, Mama. No more. No more."

"And now, if you'll please forgive us, we must be going. It is long past Ada's bedtime." Mrs Gillyflower forces Ada out of the room and locks the door behind her.

Clara tries to follow, "No, no, Clara. If we follow straight after her, she'll shoot Ada on the spot."

"She wouldn't."

"She would. Chairs are useful." He pulls the chair out of the panel and uses it to break the window.

* * *

Mrs Gillyflower drags Ada up the staircase encircling the rocket. The Doctor and Clara run through Sweetville and get to the bottom of the stairs. "Stop!" Mrs. Gillyflower yelled.

We froze. The Doctor put his hands up, "Just let her go, Mrs Gillyflower. Let Ada go."

"Secondary firing mechanism, Doctor. Mister Sweet and I are too smart for you, after all."

"Just let your daughter go, Mrs Gillyflower." Ada gets free and stumbles down to the corner between the Doctor and Mrs Gillyflower.

"Ada!"

"Shoot if you wish, Mama. It is of no matter, for you killed me a long time ago." Mrs Gillyflower shoots at the Doctor, making him retreat.

"I'll labour night and day to be a pilgrim." Mrs. Gillyflower sings. The Doctor gets to Ada as Mrs Gillyflower pulls the lever and the rocket's engines ignite. He shields her with his body as it takes off, with so little flame as to not even singe any of them as it passes mere inches away.

"Now, Mister Sweet, now the whole world will taste your lethal kiss!"

"I don't think so, Mrs Gillyflower." The Doctor snaps his fingers. Jenny and Vastra appear, in pilgrim clothes, holding a bottle of venom.

"Very well, then. If I can't take the world with me, you will have to do. Die, you freaks. Die! Die!" Mrs. Gillyflower yelled madly.

Strax points his honking big gun down the chimney. "Put down your weapon, human female." Mrs Gillyflower shoots at Strax. He returns fire, sending her tumbling over the railing to the floor two stories below.

The Doctor winced, "Ouch."

The leech detaches itself from her, and drags itself across the floor by its suckered forelimbs. "No. No. Mister Sweet, where are you going? You can't leave me now, Mister Sweet." Mrs. Gillyflower rasped.

"What's it doing?" Clara asked.

"It knows she's dying. She's no longer of any use to it." The Doctor responded.

"Mister Sweet. Ada?" Ada taps her way down the stairs. "Ada. Are you there?"

"I'm here, Mama."

"Forgive me, my child. Forgive me."

Silence, then, "Never."

Mrs. Gillyflower smiled, "That's my girl." Mrs Winifred Gillyflower dies. The rocket explodes in the sky.

"What will you do with that thing?" Jenny asked.

"Take it back to the Jurassic era, maybe. Out of harm's way." Ada taps her way across the floor until her stick finds something squishy. She smashes the leech to smithereens. "On the other hand-"

* * *

We wrapped up loose ends and such in Sweetville, helping the other trapped people get, well, untrapped and we talked with the police a bit and now we were back in the alleyway with the Tardis. "Right. Right, London. We were heading for London, weren't we?" The Doctor asked.

Clara frowned, "Was there any particular reason?"

"No. No. Just thought you might like it." The Doctor said, not so subtly.

Clara scoffed, "Yeah. Maybe had enough of Victorian values for a bit."

"You're the boss." The Doctor said and I tried to hide my wince.

"Am I?" Clara asked.

"No. No. Get in." The Doctor replied, making me feel a bit better. Clara enters the Tardis. "You too, Lia."

"Can I at least say goodbye to Ada. I mean, she did save my life." I said. The Doctor nodded and we walked back to Vastra, Jenny, Strax and Ada.

"Now, Ada, I'd love to stay and help clear up the mess more, but-" The Doctor started.

"I know, Doctor. You have things to do." Ada replied.

"Ada." I said.

"Ah, my monster." Ada said back. I hid another wince.

"And what about you?" I asked.

"Oh, there are many things a bright young lady can do to occupy her time. It's time I stepped out of the darkness and into the light."

"Good luck, Ada. You know, I think you will be amazing." I said and hugged Ada.

"Well, thanks a million, you three, as ever." The Doctor told the gang. "Have some Pontefract cakes on me. I love Pontefract cakes. See you around, eh, I shouldn't wonder."

"But Doctor. That girl, Clara. You haven't explained." Jenny said.

"No, I haven't." The Doctor said. "Come on, Lia." We walked to the Tardis. "Ah, look at the muck in here. Right!" I let out a tiny laugh. The Doctor stepped inside, I turned around, waved at the gang and went inside, closing the Tardis door behind me.

* * *

We had dropped Clara off at her house. The Doctor was fiddling with the controls. "Well, I'm going to get a shower and change into regular cloths." I said after a couple minutes of awkward silence. "Then have something to eat. I'm starving."

I turned and walked away, as I got to the entrance way into the rest of the Tardis, The Doctor called, "Lia."

I stopped and turned around, "Yes?"

The Doctor gave me a small smile, "You did good."

I froze for a second then said with a strained smile, "Thanks." I turned and walked off to change.


	25. Nightmare in silver- Part 1

**Nightmare in Silver- Part 1**

"You want to… what?" The Doctor asked Clara sharply. Clara didn't even get onto the Tardis properly before asking her question, stopping on the ramp which connected the door to the main Tardis console area. I stayed on the main area.

When The Doctor and I went to go pick Clara up the next Wednesday, Clara had told us that the kids she was in charge of had figured out she was a time traveler based on photos they had found of her on the internet.

"It's only one trip." Clara said pleadingly, "Angie said she would tell Mr. Maitland that I was a time traveler if I don't take them on a trip."

"Aren't they a little too young for blackmail?" I asked Clara, frowning. I knew that if The Doctor was going to take kids on a trip, it wasn't going to turn out good. I really didn't feel like babysitting. "I really think this isn't a good idea."

"Do you want everyone to know about time travel? I mean, they already have knowledge on aliens. I think time travel would push people over the edge, knowing that history can be rewritten in a moment's notice." Clara argued, glancing at me with a glare, then looked quickly back at The Doctor.

The Doctor was silent for a couple moments, thinking Clara's argument through. I thought it was a horrible idea, bringing children on the Tardis, especially since our adventures turn out to be… life threatening most of the time. But it was The Doctor decision to who comes and goes on his Tardis.

"Fine." The Doctor said.

Clara squealed so loud that I winced, "Thank you, thank you thank you!" Clara quickly stepped forward and hugged The Doctor. She glared at me from over The Doctor's shoulders and I glared back. I was not going to like this.

* * *

The Doctor, Clara, Angie, Artie and I looked out of the Tardis door onto Hedgewick's World. I had put on a bright face for the kids, but I had a sickening feeling something bad was going to happen. The area that I was looking at looked like Earth's moon's surface, including a U.S. flag that was straight and not moving at all.

"Well, here we are. Hedgewick's World. The biggest and best amusement park there will ever be, and we've got a golden ticket. Eh? Eh? Fun." The Doctor asked.

"Fun?" Clara asked The Doctor.

Angie snorted, "You're stupid box can't even get us to the right place. This is like a moon base or something."

The Doctor sighed, "It's not the moon."

Artie put on a thoughtful face that I knew was fake, "Actually, I think it does look like the moon, only dirtier."

"Hey. Guys. It's not the moon, okay? It's a Spacey Zoomer ride, or it was."

A door opens in one of the large rocks, and a man wearing a tall hat looks out. "Psst. Excuse I. I don't suppose you happen to be my lift off planet? Dave's Discount Interstellar Removals?"

"Afraid not." Clara said.

The man sighed, "They were meant to be here six months ago. Well, that's Dave for you, see? Unreliable."

A woman's voice cuts through the air. "Stay where you are!"

"Oops." The man ducked back inside as a group of what looked like military, ran in.

"Throw down your weapons and identify yourselves." The woman was clearly the Captain. We all put our hands up. Oh I knew something was going to happen.

"No. No weapons. Golden ticket. Spacey Zoomer. Free ice cream?" The Doctor asked, talking fast.

The Captain pointed her gun at him, "Who are you? This planet is closed, by Imperial order."

The Doctor takes out his psychic paper, "How's this?"

The Captain gave a hand signal and her troupe put away their guns. "Oh. Welcome, Proconsul. I wish they'd told us you were coming. Any news of the Emperor?"

The Doctor looked like a deer caught in headlights, "Oh, the Emperor. No, no. None that you'd er-"

"We pray for his return. If there is anything you need, my platoon is at your service."

"Right. Righty-o. Well, carry on, Captain." The Doctor said, using his command tone.

"Platoon, let's move out! On the double. Two, three, four. Two, three, four. Two, three, four." The military ran off, their Captain leading them away.

The man from earlier pokes his head out again. "Have they gone?"

"Yes." The Doctor agreed.

"Uniforms give me the heebie-jeebies. Come on. They can't stop me being here, but they don't like it." He leads them away from the Zoomer for a view of the whole amusement park.

"Ha, ha! You see? I told you it was amazing. Well, it used to be." The Doctor said frowning at the sight of the wrecked mega-scenic roller coaster and other rides. Grass is growing in the cracks in the concrete.

"It closed down. Wish I'd known that before I landed here. But let me show you my collection. Come along. Follow me. This way. This way in, come on."

* * *

We walked down some steps into a comfortably furnished room with lots of waxworks on display, all lit by chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. "Welcome to my show. Webley's World of Wonders. Miracles, marvels and more await you. I am Impresario Webley. You see before you waxwork representations of the famous and the infamous. Anybody here play chess?" Webley asked. The Doctor puts his hand up. "Perhaps you, young man?" Webley said, looking at Artie.

"Actually, I'm in my school chess club."

Webley smiled, "Ah. Follow me."

* * *

"Now, let demonstrate to you all the wonder of the age, the miracle of modernity." Webley said once we were all in the chess room. Sitting by the chessboard is something covered in a satin cloth, "We defeated them all a thousand years ago, but now he's back, to destroy you. Behold, the enemy!" Webley whips the cloth off a slightly tarnished silver coloured robot, which raises its head.

"Cyberman! Get down!" The Doctor yelled dropping to the floor, causing Clara, Angie, Artie to hide behind furniture to get out of it's sight.

Webley chuckled, "No need to panic, my young friends. We all know there are no more living Cybermen. What you are seeing is a miracle." The Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver, "The six hundred and ninety ninth wonder of the universe, as displayed before the Imperial court, and only here to destroy you at chess." The Doctor continued to scan.

"Careful now. An empty shell, and yet it moves. How?" Webley asked.

"Magic." Angie replied.

"That might well be, young lady, but a single penny wins you five Imperial shillings-"Two tiny slim metallic bugs with a flashing blue eye are watching from a waxwork Blowfish head. Something is using them to watch the scene, "If you can beat this empty shell at chess."

"I haven't got a penny, but I've got a sandwich." Artie said.

Webley shrugged, "Alright, take a seat. It is free of all devices, and yet it has never been beaten. Would you like to make the first move, young man?"

Artie moves his King's Bishop's pawn one space. The Cyberman counters by moving its King's pawn two spaces. "Oh no, Artie. No, don't do that, it-" The Doctor started. Artie advances his King's Knight's pawn two spaces. Up comes the Black Queen to end the game, "That's a fool's mate." The Doctor said.

"If you can tell me how it works, I'll give you a silver penny." Webley said.

"I think you do it with mirrors?" Angie guessed.

"Hmm. Mirrors. Clever girl." The Doctor said, "Well, let's see, hey? Low tech. It's a puppet. Monofilament strings, which means the brains are in-" The Doctor opens a door in the Cyberman's chair to reveal a little man with a control box.

"Hello." The short man says.

"Hello." The Doctor replied.

"I'm the brains."

"Hello." The Doctor repeated.

"Give us a hand." The Doctor helps the man out of the small space.

"They call me Porridge. Oh, it's good to be out of that box."

"For you, Miss, an Imperial penny." Which Webley apparently produces from Angie's ear. The Doctor notices a small swarm of tiny metal bugs slithering across the floor.

* * *

Back in Weebly's room Angie and Artie are looking around, "I have not one but three Cybermen in my collection." Weebly said. The exhibit is labelled The Great Enemy. The Doctor checks that they are inert.

Angie looks at another waxwork, a tall man with a familiar face. "Is that the King?" Angie asked.

"Emperor." Porridge replied, "Ludens Nimrod Kendrick, etc, etc, the forty first. Defender of Humanity, Imperator of known space."

"He looks a bit full of himself." Clara mused, staring at the painting.

"Don't say things like that about the Imperial family. You can end up on the run for the rest of your life." Porridge responded.

Artie frowned, "They don't sound very nice."

"Go on. If the kids want to ride the Spacey Zoomer, then I can operate the gravity console." Porridge said. Angie compares the image on the coin to the waxwork.

"Angie!" Artie says, trying to get his sister's attention so that they could go on the ride.

Artie raced ahead of us on the way out and I fell back with Angie, "You okay?" I asked, noticing how she didn't seem to be excited about beinging on another planet.

Angie glanced up at me, "Yeah. Fine."

I frowned slightly, "Could I see that coin for a moment?" I asked. Angie handed it over to me. I looked at it and glanced back at the emperor's waxwork before we exited the room. I handed it back to Angie as we walked outside, "Something's not adding up. That waxwork and coin match. Why does Porridge seem to resemble the missing emperor?" I whispered to her, "Wanna help me figure it out?"

* * *

Angie looked at me, then at the coin and back at me, then smiled, the spark of adventure lit in her eyes, "Yeah."

Artie and Angie enjoy flying around in microgravity. Clara takes photographs with her phone,

"Wow!" Artie exclaimed.

"Smile!" Clara says, taking photos, "Say, Spacey Zoomer." I rolled my eyes.

"Look at us, Doctor. We're flying!" Artie yells.

"Having a good time?" The Doctor asked.

Porridge turns off the anti-gravity, "I think that was the most fun I've had in my whole life." Artie says, a big smile on his face.

"It was," Angie paused, "okay."

"Clara, I think outer space is actually very interesting." Artie says.

"Right. Wonderful day out, Doctor, but time to get the kids home." Clara said.

The Doctor is scanning with the sonic screwdriver, "Yeah. Er, no. Not actually ready to leave."

"Why not?" Clara asked, stepping forward.

"I don't know. Reasons."

"What reasons?" Clara asked, putting her hands on her hips.

The Doctor shrugged, "Insects. Funny insects. I should add them to my funny insect collection."

"You collect funny insects?" I asked.

The Doctor looked at me, "Yeah, I'm starting to, right now."

* * *

It was past bedtime for Angie and Artie, so they are lying on the sofas, ready to sleep. "How long do we have to stay here?" Angie asked.

"Not long. Have a nap. I'll wake you when we're ready to leave." The Doctor said.

"Comfy?" Porridge asked.

"Sleep well." Clara said, looking to Artie then to Angie.

"Good night." Porridge says. The Doctor turns the lights out as he leaves. Clara and Porridge followed. I sat down in a chair to watch the kids. Even I knew to never leave kids alone on an alien world for their first time out.

"Don't wander off. Now, I'm not just saying don't wander off, I mean it. Otherwise you'll wander off and the next thing you know, somebody's going to have to start rescuing somebody." The Doctor said from the doors.

Angie frowned, "From what?"

"Nothing. Nobody needs rescuing from anything. Don't wander off. Sweet dreams." The Doctor said and left the room.

* * *

Angie and Artie kept on talking, not going to sleep, "Just try to go to sleep guys." I said. They ignored me.

"I hate the future. It's stupid. There's not even phone service." Angie said, trying to check her phone. It didn't work so she threw it, not bothering to pick it back up, "I'm out of here."

My eyes widened and I stood up, "Angie, you shouldn't run off."

Artie agreed with me, "The Doctor said not to wander off."

Angie rolled her eyes, "He said that, and then he wandered off."

"I don't think Clara would like that." Artie retorted.

"She's not our mum." Angie shot back and took off.

"Don't leave me here" Artie pleaded. No answer from Angie.

I sighed. "She was never going to listen to me, was she?" I asked Artie.

"Are you going to go after her?" Artie asked.

"No." I said, "I'm not leaving you here on your own. I've never been on this world before and trips with The Doctor usually end up with us running for our lives. I'm not leaving kids alone. The Doctor should be right outside."

"Running for your lives?" Artie asked, his eyes wide, "How much trouble do you three get into?"

I winced, "A lot. We normally make situations worse before they get better. At least try to go to sleep, Artie. I'll wake you if anything happens." Artie nodded, curling up on the couch again.

After a while, Artie sat up and said, "I'm not scared, if you're wondering. I just think we ought to turn the lights back on."

"Alright. You can turn them on." I said.

Artie makes his way nervously to the light switch and turns it on.

"Artie, Down!" I yelled, standing up as I spotted a Cyberman behind Artie. "How the hell did I miss that?" I asked myself, running to Artie. Artie spun around and yelped in surprise. The Cyberman sung around, knocking his hand across my forehead hard. I felt blood drip from the scratch the Cybermen made.

I was knocked down to the floor, crashing into a table as I went. I groaned and forced myself to get back up. Artie was routed to the spot in fear, "Artie, run!" I cried as the Cyberman started to reach for Artie. I grabbed the Cyberman's right arm and pulled back as hard as I could. Nothing happened.

The Cyberman turned to look at me and a red scan came from his eyes and scanned my body. "Hybrid, Time Lord DNA and Human DNA detected. Designation Amelia Rose Harkness. Daughter of Susan Jane Harkness and Captain Jack Harkness. Shoot on sight order initiated from Cyberman command for all of the Harkness's."

My eyes widened. "Shit." I stumbled away from the Cyberman, grabbing Artie's hand as I went, running out the door.

"Shoot on sight?" Artie asked me, his voice cracking as we ran. The Cyberman was chasing after us.

I shook my head, "I have no idea. Must be something I haven't done yet. Time travels a tricky business."

* * *

We ran into a building and stopped short. It was the military people from earlier along with The Doctor, Clara and Angie. Artie had doubled over, hands on his knees, breathing hard.

"Amelia, why isn't Artie sleeping?" Clara immediately said after staring at us.

"No time. Cyberman behind us." I said. As soon as I finished speaking, a loud crash echoed through the military barracks that we were now in.

"Cyberman!" The Captain yelped in shock.

"Angie! Artie!" Clara yelled.

"Attack formation." The Captain barks the command. The Cyberman moves faster than a blur while the platoon try to sort themselves out. A round man runs forward whilst another man with a pony-tail grabs a chair. The round man gets swatted aside. "No! Attack formation, quickly!" The Military started shooting at the Cyberman.

By now Artie had gone over by his sister and I had moved behind the line of fire.

"Upgrade in progress."

"Angie! Artie!" Clara yelled as the Cyberman moves through the group as if they are standing still and picks up Angie and Artie over his shoulders, carrying them off. "Angie! Artie!" Clara yelled again and started to go after them.

"Clara. Clara!" The Doctor shouted, grabbing her and dragging her back.

"That was a Cyberman. But they're extinct." The Captain said with bewilderment.

"Listen to me." The Doctor said, gripping Clara by the shoulders, "I will get them back." The Doctor turns to The Captain, "Captain, a word please." We moved away from the rest of the platoon, "Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I take it your platoon doesn't do much fighting."

"What do you expect?" The Captain said, rolling her eyes.

"What?" Clara asked sharply.

The Captain sighed, "We're a punishment platoon. It's why they sent us out here, so we can't get into trouble."

"Right, right, well, okay. As Imperial Consul, I'm putting Clara in charge." The Doctor pins the Captain's insignia on Clara's jacket. I swallowed back my retort. 'So this was going to be how it goes.' I thought. I wanted my test-run apprenticeship to end so I could go back home.

"Clara, stay alive until I get back, and don't let anyone blow up this planet." The Doctor said.

Clara blanched, "Is that something they're likely to do?"

"Get to somewhere defensible. "

"Where are you going?"

"I'm getting Angie and Artie back and looking for funny insects. Stay alive. And you lot, no blowing up this planet!" The Doctor yelled, leaving the barracks.

* * *

Clara, the Captain and I were standing around small table looking at some type of weapon. "Cyberiad class weaponry. I've taken it out of storage." The Captain said.

"Good. We need to find somewhere defensible. Where?" Clara asked.

The Captain brings out a large advertising overview of Hedgewick's World. "The beach, the Giant's Cauldron, Natty Longshoe's Comical Castle."

"Real castle?" I asked, looking at the map.

I noticed Clara glared at me before she added, "Drawbridge? Moat?"

"Yes, but comical." The Captain replied.

Clara nodded, "We'll go there."

"Ma'am, my platoon can deal with one Cyberman, and there are protocols if we cannot immediately find and destroy it."

Clara crossed her arms, "Blowing up the planet protocols?"

The Captain winced, "Respectfully, ma'am."

"Somewhere defensible. No blowing up the planet."

"She's your commanding officer now, isn't she, Captain?" Porridge says, walking up.

"Yes. Sir."

Clara leaves and I stayed, "You really saw a Cyberman?" Porridge asked.

"We really did." The Captain replied.

"Have you reported it to the Imperium?" He asked.

The Captain shook her head, "No communicators."

Porridge frowned, "So you're going to do what she says. Right, let's all spend the night at Natty Longshoe's Comical Castle."

* * *

We were now outside the Castle. "What would the Empire do if they were alerted?" Clara asked.

"I told you," The Captain said, looking at Clara, "Tell me to blow up the planet."

"After they got us off." Clara said.

Porridge looked to the Captain, "Captain, you want to take that one?"

The Captain shook her head, "No, ma'am. Just blow the sucker up."

Clara stared at the castle, "Drawbridge, moat, brilliant."

"With respect, ma'am, we ought to be hunting the creature." Brains, I had asked the Captain to tell me everyone's name as we walked over to the castle,

"The only reason I'm still alive is that I do what the Doctor says. Can you guarantee me you'd bring back my children alive and unharmed?" Clara asked. Brains shakes his head. "I trust the Doctor."

"You think he knows what he's doing?" The Captain asked.

"I'm not sure I'd go that far."


	26. Nightmare in Silver- Part 2

**Nightmare in Silver- Part 2**

I walked up to Porridge who was talking to the Captain on the castle battlements. The Captain held some type of device. "Porridge," I said when I next to them, "Does she know who you are?"

"What do you mean?" Porridge asked.

I rolled my eyes, "Come on. Did you tell her that you are the Emperor? I do have very good eyes, although I cannot take full credit. Angie figured out something was wrong before I did. I just put it together.

"I knew it was you." The Captain said, recognition in her eyes, "I was in the Imperial Guard on Caspertine. Mostly just parades, but I had the honour to guard the old Emperor during the ice picnic."

Porridge gave a small smile, "When the snow bears came and danced for us. That was a day."

"Snow bears?" I asked.

"You don't know them?" Both The Captain and Porridge asked.

I winced, "We're actually not from around here."

"We're a punishment platoon." The Captain started after a few moments of silence, "We can't beat a Cyberman. The Imperium has to know what's happening." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Clara walking toward us.

"Like you said, the communicators are out. The only way you can report this now is to activate the bomb."

"Yes." The Captain said.

Porridge gave the Captain a stern look, "And I forbid you to do that."

"I don't get it. Why would you blow up a whole planet and everybody on it just to get rid of one Cyberman?" Clara asked, finally reaching us.

"We tried other ways, but they only work sometimes, so now we take drastic action. And it works." Porridge said.

"If you find a Cyberman and you can't destroy it immediately, you implode the planet. I was sent here because I didn't follow orders. I can make up for that."

"Put it down. I forbid you." Clara said sternly.

"Yeah. What she said. "

The Captain glared at Porridge,"You ran away. I will do what I was brought up to do. Live for the Empire, fight for the Empire, die for the Empire." The Captain shoves past us. "This is Captain Alice Ferrin, Imperial ID one nine delta one three B. Activate-" The Captain is shot by a Cyberman on the other side of the moat and dies instantly.

"Cyberman! Get down!" Porridge yelled and we all crouched down, hiding. Another military personnel

* * *

"The Doctor said to get somewhere easily defensible, but if we just stay in the castle it'll pick us off one by one. We have to take it out." Clara said as we walked fast down the hallway and into a small antechamber stone wall style room.

"Is that an order, ma'am?" Ha-Ha asked, holding the gun that disintegrated Cybermen.

"Yes." Clara said firmly and turned around to the group and nodded.

"Good."

Clara looked at Brains, "You know what to do."

"Pulse to the back of the head. Fry the brain circuit interface." Brains quickly replied, adjusting his glasses.

"It's going to be hard to get in close enough." Clara said.

* * *

I stood next to Clara, sandbags circled us stood piled on top of each other about as high as my waist. We were waiting for our plan to fall into place, "We shouldn't have come her with the kids." I said.

Clara turned to me, "Don't you think I don't know that?"

"Well, you didn't in the beginning. Clara, you know that almost every adventure with The Doctor ends up something like this. You never, ever, bring kids into it."

"Oh, you're infuriating!" Clara said, "We're in a life or death situation, why can't we just get along?"

I briefly closed my eyes, "You should know the answer to that, Clara."

We looked down the street as we heard a sound of mettle. The cyberman has killed two of the soldiers, "I've heard about the Cybermen since I was in my cradle. I'm not afraid of you." Ha-Ha yells.

"Now!" Clara yells and Ha-Ha dives out of the way as the Cyberman moves forward and Clara dematerialized it with a long blast from the Anti-Cyber gun

"Hold it right there." Ha Ha says, now up against the sandbags as the recently killed personel stood back up, a blue light flashing behind their left ears.

Clara pointed her gun at them, "What's happening to them? One more step and I fire."

"Don't fire that. A pulse will deactivate them," Ha-Ha says, Two other soldiers do that. "And anyway, it's a waste of charge. We may need it again."

"You don't think that was the only one, then?" Clara asked.

"There definitely is more than one." I said.

* * *

Outside the castle, we met up with The Doctor, who was holding a square board in front of him and had cybernetic looking wires on the left side of his face. Angie, Artie and Webley are behind him, stock still with no emotions and blue flashing behind their left ears.

"Argh! Don't shoot, don't shoot, I'm nice." The Doctor said, holding the square board he was carying higher up, in front of his hearts, "Please, don't shoot. Hey, Clara, you haven't let them blow up the planet. Good job."

All the military personnel still alive point their guns at them.

"Did you get the kids? Are they alright? What's going on?" Clara asked, swinging the heavy gun up so it's pointed at The Doctor.

"Er, a bit of a good news, bad news, good news again thing going on. So, good news, I've kidnapped the Cyberplanner and right now I'm sort of in control of this Cyberman."

"Bad news?" I asked and stepped forward cautiously but not enough to be in front of the soldiers.

"Bad news, the Cyberplanner's in my head. And, different bad news, the kids are, well, it's complicated."

Clara raises an eyebrow, "Complicated how?"

"Complicated as in walking coma." He hides behind the board he is holding.

Clara glared at him and went over to Angie and Artie, checking them over, "Please tell me you can wake them up."

"Hope so."

"Other good news?" Clara asked.

"Well, in other good news, there are a few more repaired and reactivated Cybermen on the way, and the Cyberplanner's installing a patch for the gold thing. No, wait, that isn't good news, is it. Er, so, good news, I have a very good chance of winning my chess match." The Doctor said.

I froze and tensed, "What?"

"I'll explain later. In a bit of a hurry." The Doctor said walking part way up the drawbridge, "Get me to a table, and somebody tie me up! Need hands free for chess. And immobilise me, quickly."

* * *

Clara and I tied up The Doctor in the throne room and helped watched as The Doctor set up his chess game. "Right, that's good. I won't be able to move, but hands free. Good." The Doctor said.

"You're playing chess with yourself?" Clara asked.

I rolled my eyes, "It's not with himself, it's with the Cyberplanner."

"And winning." The Doctor then tears off the gold ticket from the implants, and acquires a northern accent.

"Actually, he has no better than a twenty five percent chance of winning at this stage in the game. Some very dodgy moves at the beginning. Hello, flesh girl. Fantastic. I'm the Cyberplanner."

"Doctor?" I asked hesitantly.

The Doctor smirked, "Afraid not. I'm working the mouth now. Allons-y. Oh, you should see the state of these neurons. He's had some cowboys in here. Ten complete re-jigs."

"You aren't the Doctor." Clara said, stepping back.

"No, but I know who you are. You're the impossible girl. Oh, he's very interested in you."

Clara folds her arms, "Why am I impossible?"

"He hasn't told you? The sly devil. Oh, dear me. Listen, soon we'll wake. We'll strip you down for spare parts, then build a spaceship and move on."

My eyes widened. "There's more Cybermen."

The Doctor smiled evilly, "They're waking from their tomb right now. You can either die or live on as one of us." The Doctor said. I noticed that The Doctor is writing with his right hand on a notepad which says: _**Hit me.**_

"The Doctor will stop you." I spat.

The Cyberplanner-Doctor smirked, "He can't even access the lips." I smacked The Doctor hard across his face. "Argh! Ow! Oh, that hurt. No, stop. Enough, Bit of pain, neural surge. Just what I needed. Thank you."

"Why am I the impossible girl?" Clara asked.

"It's just a thing in my head. I'll explain later."

"Chess game. Stakes?"

"If he wins, I give up my mind and he gets access to all my memories, along with knowledge of time travel. But, if I win, he'll break his promises to get out of my head and then kill us all anyway."

"That's not good." I said.

"No."

"Please tell me you can fix whatever happened to the children." Clara pleaded.

"Children. Yeah. They're fine. I mean, right now their brains are just in standby mode."

Clara glared at him, "That is not fine!"

"Listen, right now they have a much better chance of getting out of this situation alive than you do." The Doctor said in a low tone.

"Which one of you said that?" Clara asked.

The Doctor smiled, "Me. Cyberplanner. Mister Clever. Now, if you don't mind, I have a chess game to finish, and you have to die, pointlessly and very far from home. Toodle-oo." The Doctor said, pushing Clara back with his pointer finger.

Clara and I glanced at each other then left The Doctor to his chess match and climbed up on the castle drawbridge. "Apparently there are more Cybermen on the way." Clara said.

"There's at least a dozen more shots left in the gun before it needs to recharge." Brains responded.

"We might have more than a dozen Cybermen to worry about. What's that cable?" Clara asked, pointing to the silver cable lying on the ground.

Porridge looked at Clara, "Power line for the park."

"What would happen if we unhooked the end, dropped it into the moat and turned it on?" I asked, thinking fast.

Ha-Ha smiled, "Fry anything alive that entered the water."

"Can Cybermen fly?" Clara asked.

Brains shook his head, "No, ma'am."

"First good news of the day. Do it." Clara ordered.

Porridge spoons a soup into a cup for Clara and hands it to her, "There, get that in you. Warm you up." Porridge then started pouring soup into another cup for me.

"Oh, thank you, Porridge." Clara says.

I took the cup Porridge handed me with a nod and a quiet "Thank you."

"Oi, Clara! Amelia!" I heard The Doctor yell.

"We'll see what he wants. Call me if there's any change." Clara said and we walked off.

"Hey! Clara, there you are. Now, quick rundown. What's our weapons strength?" The Doctor asked.

"One big gun, five of those hand-pulser units and a shiny black bomb that implodes the planet." Clara said quickly.

"Clara!" I said, "Don't tell him what we have. Didn't you forget the Cyberplanner is in his head?" I asked her with a frown. Clara had the decency to look down at her feet.

"Yeah. Yeah, that big one. Now, tell me, does it happen possibly to have a remote triggery thing?" Clara takes it from her jacket pocket.

"Clara! Don't you dare!" I shouted at her.

"Brilliant. Pass it here." The Doctor said.

"No."

"Why not?"

"In case you're not you right now. Or even if you are, just in case." Clara said.

"Oh, don't worry. The Cyberplanner's hibernating between moves right now. Shush."

"Clara, don't trust him." I pleaded.

"Prove you're you. Tell me something only the Doctor knows." Clara said, leaning on the table.

"Clara, I suppose I'm the only one who knows how I feel about you right now. How funny you are. So funny. And pretty. And the truth is, I'm starting to like you in a way that is more than just-" The Doctor is cut of by Clara slapping him, "Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Yes! It's me. That really hurt. How did you know that was him?"

Clara raised her eyebrow, "Because even if that was true, which it is obviously not, I know you well enough to know that you would rather die than say it. Finish your stupid game." CyberDoctor grabs Clara's arm, "Doctor, let go."

"I can't. He's got control of the left arm. Argh, argh, no! No!" The Doctor said. I ran forward as the Cyberplanner took control of The Doctor's hand and grabbed the remote trigger. I grabbed the remote and tugged but The Doctor managed to destroy it.

"Doctor?" I asked.

"He got what he wanted. He destroyed the trigger. My move."

"What do you mean, he got what he wanted?" Clara asked.

The Doctor smirked, "He means, good news, boys and girls. They're here!" He roared.

Clara and I looked at each other and sprinted out of the room to the castle entrance. "One gun, five hand-pulsers and a planet smashing bomb that doesn't work any more." I said.

Brains looked from Clara to me, "Why not?"

Clara shrugged, "Broken trigger unit."

"But you signed for that."

We were now up on the castle battlements, overlooking the pulled up drawbridge. The first Cyberman steps into the moat and gets electrocuted.

"Brilliant." Clara said, smiling.

Then it recovers, "Upgrade in progress."

"Damn. Who's our best shot?" Clara asked.

Ha-Ha responds, "Probably it's me."

"Shoot any of them who make it across. The rest of you, take defensive positions. Porridge?" Clara asked, looking towards him.

"Yes?"

"Keep yourself safe."

The first Cyberman comes through the castle gate, and gets atomised. Then more come through the gate. Ha-Ha keeps on firing. Then the guns makes a clicking sound and Ha-Ha looks up in panic. "I've got no charge left."

Clara picks up a heavy mettle mace. I looked around at all the Cybermen that were pouring through the front gate. "Shit." I muttered, seeing no way out.

Clara swings her mace at a Cyberman who grabs it and yanks it from her as Clara stumbles back in shock. "Please stand by. You will be upgraded. Welcome to the Cyberiad. You will be upgraded. Welcome to the Cyberiad. You will be upgraded." The Cyberman said as we were backed up against a wall. One of the cybermen had one of his hands on my throat. Suddenly the Cybermen slow down and stop.

I breathed a sigh of relief. I moved the cyberman back and together Clara and I ran to The Doctor with Brains and Ha-Ha.

The Doctor sits up with no implants on. "Just taking advantage of the local resources. Ah, hello. Can someone untie me, please?"

Clara crossed her arms. "Do you think I'm pretty?"

The Doctor snorted, "No. You're too short and bossy, and your nose is all funny."

"Good enough. What happened to the Cyberplanner?" Clara asked as she untied him.

"Out of my head and redistributed across three million Cybermen right now, and about to wake them all up, kill us and start constructing a spaceship. We need to destroy this planet before they can get off it."

The Doctor went to the bomb as Porridge stood up, "Okay, it has a fallback voice activation."

"The Captain, but she's dead." Ha-Ha said.

"I think you should ask Porridge." Angie said.

Clara looked at Angie, "Why?"

Angie smirked, "Well, he is the Emperor. I bet he knows the activation codes. Oh, come on. It's obvious. He looks exactly like he does on the coin, and on the waxwork, except they made him a bit taller, but look, am I the only one paying attention to anything around here?"

"You are full of surprises. Porridge?" Clara asked.

Porridge sighed, "She's right."

"So you can save us?" Clara asked.

"We all die in the end. Does it matter how?"

Ha-Ha looked at Porridge, "What do we do?"

"I don't want to be Emperor. If I activate that bomb, it's all over."

"And if you don't, three million Cybermen will spread across the galaxy." The Doctor said, "Isn't that worth dying for?"

"Doctor-"

"Three million Cybermen!" The Doctor said again.

"The bomb, the throne, it's all connected. I just have to say this is Emperor Ludens Nimrod Kendrick, called Longstaff the forty first, the Defender of Humanity, Imperator of known space. Activate the Desolator. And it's done." The bomb is now armed, "It'll blow in about eighty seconds. Easily long enough for the Imperial Flagship to locate me from my identification, warp jump into orbit, and transmat us to the State Room."

Suddenly we were in a ornate room with a golden small throne with pyramid looking steps up to it and a gigantic screen that showed the planet we were on. "Oh yeah. Nice ship. Bit big. Not blue enough. Listen, there is a large blue box at coordinates six ultra nineteen P. I need it transmitted up here right away." The Doctor said.

"Right. Did you get that?" The officer nods and works her console. "And that's that. Seventy six, seventy seven, seventy eight, seventy nine-" The planet blows, rocking the Imperial spaceship, "Farewell, Cyberiad. You know, it was good to get away. Good to be a person and not to be lonely, or Emperor of a thousand galaxies with everyone waiting for me to tell them what to do."

"Can't you run away again?" Artie asked, looking at Porridge.

Porridge sighed, "They'll be keeping a close eye on me this time. That's what happens when you're Emperor. Loneliest job in the universe."

"You don't have to be lonely." Clara says.

"I don't." Porridge gets down to one knee, "Amelia, will you marry me?"

I had to blink my eyes a couple of times to be able to be sure that I heard him right, "What?" I asked in a small voice.

"He said-" Artie started.

Angie rolled her eyes, "She heard what he said."

"You're smart and you're beautiful, and I've never met anyone like you before. And being Emperor won't be as hard if you're by my side. And you'd rule a thousand galaxies."

"This sounds like an actual marriage proposal." The Doctor started, "Tricky. Now, if you want my advice-"

"Doctor, not one word. This is between me and the Emperor. Porridge, I don't want to rule a thousand galaxies. Besides, I'm a Time Lady and have an apprenticeship to complete." I said, refusing to look at The Doctor.

"Yeah. Silly of me." Porridge said sadly.

I smiled sadly, "I am really sorry."

"But that's stupid." Angie started, "You could be Queen of the universe. How can you say no to that? When someone asks you if you want to be Queen of the universe, you say yes. You watch. One day, I'll be Queen of the universe."

"Of course, I could have you all executed, which is what a proper Emperor would do." Porridge said and I stiffened.

"You're not actually going to do that, though, are you? Oh, you're. Hey?" The Doctor asked.

"Go on, get out of here, all of you, before I change my mind."

* * *

"Thank you for having me. It was very interesting." Artie said, shaking The Doctor's hand.

"My pleasure. Thank you for coming. Now, I've got something for you. It's not from me, it's from the Tardis." The Doctor said, circling the Tardis counsel and held up a new phone, "Ah. New phone."

Angie smiled, "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

"Sorry I said this box was stupid." Angie said.

"Bye."

"Bye Doctor, Lia. Thanks, Clara." Angie said.

Artie hugged me and said "Thanks." then ran after her sister, "Thanks, Clara's boyfriend." Then he left.

Clara turned and looked at The Doctor, "Thank you, Doctor."

"For what?"

"Kid's day out. Getting us off the planet alive. Whatever you were doing with the Cybermen. Good night. See you next Wednesday." Clara said I nodded towards Clara and she nodded back. Well, that was an improvement I started walking to the corridor that I knew held my room.

"Well, a Wednesday, definitely. Next Wednesday, last Wednesday-" Clara leaves, closing the door behind her. "One of the Wednesdays. Impossible girl. A mystery wrapped in an enigma squeezed into a skirt that's just a little bit too tight. Oh yeah. What are you?" I heard The Doctor say before I walked out of hearing range.

I walked into the console room the next morning to see The Doctor already at work, "Doctor." I said.

"Hmm." The Doctor replied without even turning around.

"I would like to go home."


	27. The Name of The Doctor- Part 1

**The Name of The Doctor- Part 1**

" _One day you meet the Doctor. And of course, it's the best day ever. It's just the best day of your life. Because, because he's brilliant, and he's funny, and mad, and best of all, he really needs you. The trick is, don't fall in love. I do that trick quite a lot, sometimes twice a day. And once you start running, you start to forget, slowly. After a while, you just stop asking. Who are you? Where are you from? What set you on your way and where are you going? Oh, and what is your name? You get used to not knowing. I thought I never would. I was wrong. I know who he is. I know how he began and I know where he's going. I know the truth about the Doctor and his greatest secret. The day we went to Trenzalore."_ Clara's voice echoed.

" _From the beginning, she was impossible. The Impossible Girl. I met her in the Dalek Asylum. Never saw her face, and she died. I met her again in Victorian London, and she died. Saved my life both times, by giving her own. But now she's back and we're running together, and she's perfect. Perfect in every way for me. Except she can't remember that we ever met. Clara. My Clara. Always brave, always funny, always exactly what I need. Perfect. Too perfect. Get used to not knowing. I thought I never would. I was wrong. I know who Clara Oswald is. I know how she came to be in my life, and I know what she will always mean. I found out the day we went to Trenzalore."_ The Doctor's voice echoed.

" _I've known The Doctor since I was born. He would come once a year, on my birthday. He would pop out of that blue box all smiling and happy, bringing tones presents. Then one day, I got to go on my first adventure and the Daleks came. I was scared, very scared. Then The Doctor saved me. He took me on as a 'test' apprentice and I thought everything was going to be amazing. It wasn't. He ignored me for a puzzle. A puzzle that was solved and then put back on the shelf to gather dust."_ Amelia Rose Harkness's voice echoed.

* * *

 _ **Drax Three**_

 _ **The Harkness Estate**_

I paced around my room on Drax Three, my suitcase unopened on my bed. The Doctor had taken me home straight away, not even questioning why I wanted to leave. I heard the Tardis wheezing sound and ran to my window just in time to see the Tardis dematerialize.

I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the window. I guess I really wasn't Time Lady material. I jumped as I heard a knock on my door. "Honey?" Came my mum's voice. "Can I come in?"

"No." I replied, moving from the window to sit on my bed.

There was silence for a couple moments then, "Well, this letter came from you. I'll just leave it on the table outside your door." I could hear paper rustling, "Come down when you're ready." I heard my mum's footsteps fade away as she walked back down the stairs. Who would write to me? I guess my friends but they would only call me over Draxiaon Systems.

It was curiosity that finally brought me to open my bedroom door and grabbed the letter. It looked old. Really old. On the front it says: _To Amelia Rose Harkness_. I flipped the letter over to find a wax seal on the flap and the words in the same cursive writing as on the front: _Open When Alone._

I walked back into my room and carefully broke the seal and opened the letter.

 _My dear Amelia, The Doctor entrusted me with your contact details in the event of an emergency, and I fear one has now arisen. Assuming this letter will have reached you as planned, on May the twenty-second, 2041 on Drax Three, please find and light the enclosed candle. It will release a soporific which will induce a trance state, enabling direct communication across the years. However, as I realise you have no reason to trust this letter, I have taken the liberty of embedding the same soporific into the fabric of the paper you are now holding. Speak soon._

My eyes widened and then I was falling.

* * *

I fell with a thud into a chair. I looked around, "Where am I?" I saw Jenny, Vastra and strax sitting at a round table. Four other empty, well three. I thought as Clara appeared.

She looked around, panicking, "Where am I?"

"So glad you two could make it." Vastra said.

Clara and I glanced at each other then looked away. "

Exactly where you were, but sleeping." Jenny said.

"Time travel has always been possible in dreams. We are awaiting only one more participant."

"Oh, no. Not the one with the gigantic head?" Strax groaned.

Jenny sighed, "It's hair, Strax."

"Hair." Strax corrected.

The women they were talking about arrives in a puff of smoke. She had bushy curly blond hair along with a white jacket with gold looking shirt. "Madame Vastra." The women says.

Vastra nodded, "Professor. Help yourself to some tea."

"Why, thank you." River creates a champagne bottle and flute for herself.

Jenny eyed her, "How did you do that?"

She smirked, "Disgracefully." The woman and Clara looked at each other.

"Ah. Perhaps you two haven't met. This is the Doctor's companion. That is, his current travelling assistant. The other is the daughter of one of his earlier companions."

"Assistant?" Clara asked

"Have you gone a darker green?" Strax said.

"Clara Oswald and Amelia Rose Harkness." Vastra introduced us. I saw the woman tense at my name.

"Professor River Song. The Doctor might have mentioned me?" River said. At her name, my eyes widened. Mum and Dad have told me many stories about her.

"Oh, yeah. Oh yeah, of course he has. Professor Song. Sorry, it's just I never realised you were a woman." Clara said. I saw River's smile fall a little. Ouch.

"Well, neither did I." Strax said, trying to help and failing.

River turned to me, "Harkness? Would your parents be Susan and Jack Harkness by any chance?"

"Yes… wait, YOU'RE River?! I've heard stories, but-" I started.

Vastra leaned forward a bit, "Perhaps we should get down to the business at hand."

"That might be good, dear, yes." Jenny said.

An image of a man pops up in a type of hologram style way from the center of the black table. "Clarence DeMarco. Murderer, under sentence of death. He offered us this in exchange for his life."

"Space time coordinates." River said.

"This, Mister DeMarco claims, is the location of the Time Lord's greatest secret." Vastra said.

Clara looked at Vastara, "Which is?"

Jenny leaned forward a bit, "We don't know. It's a secret."

"The Doctor does not discuss his secrets with anyone, my dear. If you're still entertaining the idea that you are an exception to this rule, ask yourself one question. What is his name?" Vastra asked.

River sat back in her seat, a bit smug and she takes a sip from her glass, "Well, I know it."

Clara looked at River, "What, you know his name? He told you?"

River smirked, "I made him."

Clara narrowed her eyes, "How?"

"It took a while."

"So you're a friend of his, then?" Clara asked, sitting back in her seat.

"A little more than a friend, a long time ago." River replied.

Vastra glanced at River, surprised, "He's still never contacted you?"

"He doesn't like endings. So what else did this DeMarco tell you? He didn't just buy his life with some coordinates. How did he prove their value?" River asked.

"One word, only."

"What word?" River asked Vastra sternly.

"A word I've heard in connection with the Doctor before. Trenzalore."

River froze, "How exactly did he describe what he was giving you?"

"The Time Lords have a secret, you know. They have one that they will take to the grave. And it is discovered." The holo- DeMarco said.

"You misunderstood." River said. "He said 'they'."

"Jenny?" I asked in concern as I saw Jenny look more and more panicked. This caused everyone to look over at the girl, "What is it?"

There were tears building in Jenny's eyes and it looked like she was barely holding it together, "Ma'am, I'm sorry. I just realise I forgot to lock the doors."

"It doesn't matter, Jenny." Vastra said and turned back to River, "What misunderstanding? Tell me."

"No, ma'am, please. I should've locked up before we went into the trance."

"Jenny, it doesn't matter!"

Jenny looked to be in some sort of trance or shock, "Someone's broken in. Someone's with us. I can hear them."

"Jenny, are you alright?" Vastra asked sternly, almost yelling.

A tear falls down her cheek, "Sorry, ma'am. So sorry. So sorry. So sorry. I think I've been murdered." Astral Jenny starts to fade away.

"Jenny!" Vastra yelled, standing up.

"What's happened to her." Clara asked.

"Jenny, can you hear me?" River called.

"Jenny!" I called.

"Speak to us, boy!" Strax yelled.

"Jenny!"

River turns to Vastra, "You're under attack. You must wake up now. Just wake up. Do it!" River slaps Vastra and Vastra disappeared. "You too, Strax. Wake up now!" River throws her champagne into his face. Strax disappears.

Black hooded figures enter the room from… somewhere. "Tell the Doctor. Tell the Doctor. Tell the Doctor."

"Tell him what?" Clara whispered.

The face of the Great Intelligence appears as Simon. "His friends are lost for ever more, unless he goes to Trenzalore."

"No! You can't say that. He can't go there. You know he can't!" River said.

"Angie? Artie?" I heard The Doctor's voice echo throughout the room.

"The Doctor can never go to Trenzalore." River said fiercely to Clara.

"Am I getting warm?" The Doctor's voice echoed again and Clara disappeared.

I felt something cold brush up against my forehead and I tensed, knowing nothing was behind me, "River." I said, panicking, "Something just touched me."

River turned to me, "Wake up! Tell your parents that it's time for Trenzalore. They'll know what I mean."

* * *

I nodded and closed my eyes. When I opened them, I found myself on my bed, in my night-robe, with a cold wet cloth on my forehead with my mum sitting on my bed besides me. "Amelia?" Mum asked.

"Mum." My eyes widened as I remembered what happened, "Jenny! Vastra! Strax!"

"Whoa, what happened." Dad asked, walking in with a glass of water. "You were unconscious when we found you."

"How long was I out?" I asked, gladly taking a sip of water from the glass that Dad handed me.

"About five hours."

"Five?! It was only a few minutes for me." I said.

Mum sighed, "Time differences. What happened at this… meeting." The way mum worded it, I had a feeling that she knew more than she was letting on.

"Well, Vastra, Jenny, Strax, River, Clara and I-"

"Wait, back up a bit. What was the fourth name?" Dad asked, looking at me a weirdly.

"River."

Mum put a hand on my leg, "River… as in River Song?"

"Yeah, actually she said she knew you guys."

Mum gave a faint smile, "Yeah, she did know us. She's The Doctor's wife."

My eyes widened, "He never said-"

Mum shook my head, "He doesn't like to be remembered of the past. She's, well, dead, you see."

"No. I don't see. How could she be dead if I was just having a conversation with her?"

Dad was the one to answer, "Lia, River did die, but The Doctor saved her soul and uploaded it into The Library. She lives on, but not in a body."

"That… must put a damper in their relationship." I said.

Dad snorted, "That it does. Susan? Should we contact The Doctor?"

"Yes. We won't be able to get to Trenzalore without the Tardis." Mum said, looking at Dad.

"I thought we were supposed to stop The Doctor from going." I said.

Mum got up and looked at me, "When you spend as much time with The Doctor as I have, you learn very fast that no matter how dangerous, stupid or idiotic it is, The Doctor will do whatever it takes to save his friends."

* * *

I had changed into jeans and a nice white shirt with a black buckle belt. Though I had on flat black and white shoes and my red hair tied up in a bun. I walked down into the kitchen to see the Tardis. Dad was waiting outside of it. "You're Mum's already inside."

I nodded and walked into the Tardis. I saw Clara standing over by The Doctor. She looked up, spotted me, gave me the 'evil eye' then turned back to The Doctor.

I walked over to stand next to Mum. Dad closed the door behind him.

"I have to save Vastra and Strax. Jenny too, if it's still possible." The Doctor was saying to Mum. They, they cared for me during the dark times. Never questioned me, never judged me, they were just kind. I owe them. I have a duty. No point in telling you all that this is too dangerous."

"None at all." Clara said.

"Nope." Mum replied.

Dad snorted, "Come on Doctor. You know me. How can we save them?" Dad asked.

"Apparently, by breaking into my own tomb." The Doctor replied. He puts the Tardis into flight and the Tardis starts shaking so much I have to grab onto the railing to keep myself upright.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"She's just figured out where we're going. She's against it. I'm about to cross my own timeline in the biggest way possible. The Tardis doesn't like it. She's fighting it. Hang on! Hang on!" There are tons of bangs and sparks. All of us get thrown over to the railings and the Tardis powers down.

"Now what?" Dad asked.

"She doesn't want to land. She's shut down." The Doctor said, looking over the controls.

"So we're not there?" Clara asked.

The Doctor frowned, "We must be close." He goes to the door, opens it and looks down. He opens up the door. "Okay, so that's where I end up." It is an volcanic planet. "Always thought maybe I'd retire. Take up watercolours or bee-keeping, or something. Apparently not."

"So, how do we get down there? Jump?" Clara asked.

"Don't be silly. We fall." The Doctor said backing up.

"Fall?!" Mum cried.

"She's turned off practically everything, except the anti-gravs. Guess what I'm turning off." He uses the sonic screwdriver, and Clara, Mum and I scream as the Tardis tumbles to the planet, clutching onto the railings.


	28. The Name of The Doctor- Part 2

**The Name of The Doctor- Part 2**

The Tardis hits ground so hard it breaks one of the glass panes in the door, "Oops." I walked out and looked up. The sky is dark, and occasionally spotting lightning.

"You okay? You're visiting your own grave. Anyone would be scared."

"It's more than that. I'm a time traveller. I've probably time-travelled more than anyone else." The Doctor said.

Clara looked at The Doctor, puzzled. "Meaning?"

"Meaning my grave is potentially the most dangerous place in the universe. Shall we?"

"Gravestones are a big basic?"Clara asked as we walked through the graveyard.

"It's a battlefield graveyard." The Doctor said quietly. "My final battle."

"Why are some of them bigger?" Clara asked. I shook my head. It's The Doctor's grave, she should be more sensitive.

"They're soldiers. The bigger the gravestone, the higher the rank." Up ahead is the biggest of all, a familiar shape with a light on top.

"It's a hell of a monument." Clara said.

"It's the Tardis." Mum whispered.

"I can see that."

"No. When a Tardis is dying, sometimes the dimension dams start breaking down. They used to call it a size leak. All the bigger on the inside starts leaking to the outside. It grows. When I say that's the Tardis, I don't mean it looks like the Tardis, I mean it actually is the Tardis. My Tardis from the future. What else would they bury me in?" The Doctor said and walked on.

* * *

Suddenly River appeared. Clara and I looked at eachother, confused. "Clara. Amelia. Don't speak, don't say my name. He can't see or hear me. Only you can."

"Well, come on, then." The Doctor called and we reluctantly caught up.

"We're mentally linked. It's the conference call. I kept the line open." River explained.

"Stop chatting! We need to get. River." The Doctor said, stopping at a gravestone with River Song carved in it.

"That can't be right." I said.

"No, it can't." Dad agreed.

"She's not dead." Clara said.

The Doctor sighe, "Oh, she's dead, I'm afraid. She's been dead for a very long time."

River winced, "Yeah, probably should have mentioned that. Never the right time."

"But I met her." Clara said.

"Long story. But her grave can't be here."

I heard whispers behind us and turned around, seeing the Wispermen. "Doctor!" Everyone turned around.

"This man must fall as all men must. The fate of all is always dust." The Whisper Men whispered.

The Doctor and Mum point their sonic screwdriver and pen at them, but nothing happens.

"If it isn't my gravestone, then what is it?" River asked.

I repeated her question, "What do you think that gravestone really is?"

"The gravestone?" The Doctor asked.

"Maybe it's a false grave."

"Maybe it's a false grave." Clara said fast.

The Doctor frowned,"Yeah, maybe."

"Maybe it's a secret entrance to the tomb."

This time, I beat Clara to it, saying, "Maybe it's a secret entrance to the tomb!"

"Yes, of course. Makes sense. They'd never bury my wife out here." The Doctor said.

Clara froze, "Your what?"

The Doctor zaps River's headstone with the sonic screwdriver. A hole opens in the ground and they fall through.

The Doctor lights a torch.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"Catacombs." Dad answered.

"I hate catacombs. So how come I met your dead wife?" Clara asked.

"Oh well, you know how it is when you lose someone close to you. I sort of made a back-up." The Doctor said.

"I died saving him. In return, he saved me to a database in the biggest library in the universe. Left me like a book on a shelf. Didn't even say goodbye. He doesn't like endings." River explained.

I heard whispering again and turned around to see that the Whisper men had caught up with us, "Guys, come on! Run, run!"

The Doctor bursts through a steel door, "Come on, quickly, we're in." A Whisper Man grabs Mum's arm.

"Jack!" Mum cried out, trying to tug herself away.

"Susan!" Dad yelled, rushing over and he pulls her its grasp and slams the door. It's hand is trapped until it pulls it back, and the door closes properly.

"Mum, are you alright?" I asked, worried.

Mum smiles. "Yes I am. Thank you husband." Dad leans in and kisses her.

"Eww!" I cried, pretending to shield my eyes.

"Yowzah." The Doctor said, "Well, come on. We headed up the metal stairs. " Still a bit of a climb. I think I remember the way. Clara? Clara." Clara swayed a bit on her feet. "Hey, it's okay. You're fine. The dimensioning forces this deep in the Tardis, they can make you a bit giddy."

"I know, I know. How do I know? How do I know that?" Clara asked, getting scared.

"Clara, it's okay. You're fine."

"Have we, have we done this before? We have. We have done this before. Climbing through a wrecked Tardis. You said things, things I'm not supposed to remember."

"We can't do this now. The Tardis is a ruin. The telepathic circuits are awakening memories you shouldn't even have. Clara." She didn't answer, having a blank look on her face. "Clara. Clara? Clara, what's wrong?"

"What do you mean, you keep meeting me? You said I died. How could I die?"

"That is not a conversation you should even remember."

"What do you mean I died?"

"The girl who died he tried to save. She'll die again inside his grave." The Whisper Men chant.

The Doctor grabs Clara's hand and yelled, "Run. Run!"

* * *

We entered into a balcony type area, without the balcony. The shapes of mountains were behind us. Vastra, Jenny and Strax stood stiffly in front of five Whisper Men.

"The doors require a key. The key is a word." A man, Simeon, faced a huge metal door. "And the word is the Doctor's." Simion turned around. Clara went to stand beside Strax as did Mum and Dad. I stood next to Dad, but a bit closer to The Doctor.

"Here I am, late to my own funeral. Glad you could make it. Jenny." Jenny nodded, clearly meaning she was alright, which was good.

"Open the door, Doctor. Speak, and open your tomb." Simeon commanded The Doctor.

"No."

"Because you know what's in there?" Simeon asked.

"I will not open those doors."

"The key is a word lost to time. A secret hidden in the deepest shadow and know to you alone. The answer to a question."

"I will not open my tomb."

"Doctor, what is your name?" Simeon reached up and grabbed at The Doctor's face, as if inspecting it. The Doctor grabs Simeons hand and pulls it off, but only by a bit. He walks around The Doctor, toward the Whisper Men, "The Doctor's friends. Stop their hearts." Simeon commanded.

The Whisper Men hiss.

"Madam, boys, combat formation. They are unarmed." Strax said as we turned around to face the Whisper Men as the Whisper Men stretch out their hands and advance on us.

"So are we!" Jenny said, panicking.

"Do not divulge our military secrets!"

"Stop this. Leave them alone."

"Your name, Doctor. Answer me."

"Doctor?" Clara called.

Strax picks up a stick and hits a Whisper Man with it. It cuts through its body. "Do you want me to do that again?" Then the hole closes up.

"Doctor who?" Simeon growled.

The Whisper Man reaches into Strax's chest, and closes its hand around his heart. Meanwhile, I am backed up against a column, a Whisper Man advancing. I looked around for my parents and saw them in similar situations.

I felt a cold sensation as the Whisper Man's arm went through me and latched onto my right heart and squeezed. I cried out in pain, forcing my left heart to compensate for what my right heart couldn't do at the moment.

"Amelia!" Mum cried, but she herself was cornered by a Whisper Man.

"Please, stop it." The Doctor pleaded.

"Doctor who?"

"Unhand me, sir. Argh." Strax yelled.

"Leave them alone. Let them be!"

"Don't worry, sir. I think I've got him rattled."

"I'm fine- Argg!" I cried and my legs went weak.

"Doctor! Doctor!" I faintly heard Clara yell.

"Doctor who?"

"Please!" The Doctor cried. The tomb door opens. Strax and I am released. I fell to the ground, coughing as Mum and Dad ran over to me.

"Lia, are you alright?" Mum asked as they helped me up as I coughed some more.

"Yeah." I said, breathing heavily.

"The Tardis can still hear me. Lucky thing, since him indoors is being so useless." River said.

"Why did you open the door, sir? I had them on the run." Strax complained.

The Doctor looked around, confused, "I didn't do it. I didn't say my name."

"No, but I did." River responded, smirking a bit.

"Is everyone all right? Is everyone okay? Amelia? Are you okay?"

I was puzzled at The Doctor's reaction. I thought he didn't… It must be because of my parents. I gave a small smile, "I'm fine."

"That was not nice." Clara said, crossly.

"I know. I'm sorry. Now then, Doctor Simeon, or Mister G Intelligence, whatever I call you, do you know what's in there?" The Doctor asked.

"For me, peace at last. For you, pain everlasting. Won't you invite us in?" Simeon asked. The Doctor forces the doors further open and we walked inside to see the inside of the Tardis covered with vines and leaves. Where the console of the Tardis usually was, three sets of swirling energy now was. The middle was white while the one on the left was purple and the one on the right was sky blue. Vines covered the floor.

"What are those?" I asked as we cautiously moved forward.

"What were you expecting, a body? Bodies are boring. I've had loads of them. Nah, that's not what my tomb is for." The Doctor said. He then paused, "Our tombs are for."

"Our tombs?" Dad asked, staring ahead at the light.

"Mine and Amelia's." Mum whispered, staring at the three energies. Clara looked at us, wide eyed.

"What?" Dad breathed.

"It's beautiful." Jenny said, mesmerized.

"Should I destroy it?" Strax asked.

"Shut up, Strax." Vastra said.

"Doctor, explain. What is that?" Clara said.

The Doctor swallowed, "The tracks of our tears."

"Less poetry, Doctor. Just tell them." Simeon spat.

"Time travel is damage. It's like a tear in the fabric of reality. That is the scar tissue of my journey through the universe. My path through time and space from Gallifrey to Trenzalore. Susan's path from Earth to Trenzalore and Amelia's journey from Drax to Trenzalore." He zaps it with his sonic screwdriver.

"Have you ever thought what it's like to be wanderers in the fourth dimension? Do I have the right? Daleks, Cybermen, they're still in the nursery compared to us. There are corners of the universe that have bred the most dangerous things. You were fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. I'm the Doctor. I'm from Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborous Hello, Stonehenge!"

Mum collapsed and clutched at her heart. "Susan!" Dad cried, kneeling down next to her.

"Mum!" I cried, rushing over only to collapse beside her, my head bursting with pain with that feeling of having to throw up. "Ahh!"

"Amelia!" Dad cried, torn between his wife and his daughter.

"My own personal time tunnel. All the days,"

"It was the daisiest daisy I'd ever seen."

"Even the ones that I, er, even the ones that I haven't lived yet." The Doctor collapses.

"Doctor. Doctor!" Clara runs forward.

The Doctor holds up his hand to stop her. "No, no. Which is why I, we, shouldn't be here. The paradoxes. It's very bad."

Simeon steps forward.

"No. No. No. What are you doing? Somebody stop him!" The Doctor yelled.

"The Doctor's life is a open wound. And an open wound can be entered." Simeon said, staring at the energy.

The Doctor tried to stand but fell back to the ground, "No, it would destroy you."

"Not at all. It will kill me. It will destroy you. I can rewrite your every living moment. I can turn every one of you victories into defeats. Poison every friendship. Deliver pain to your every breath."

"It will burn you up. Once you go through, you can't come back. You will be scattered along my timeline like confetti."

"It matters not, Doctor. You thwarted me at every turn. Now you will give me peace, as I take my revenge on every second of your life. Goodbye. Goodbye, Doctor." Simeon backs into the time stream, and the Whisper Men vanish. There is a big flash. The Doctor curls up into himself in agony. Mum and I also cried out.

"What's wrong with him? What's happening?" Clara asked.

"He's being rewritten. Simeon is attacking his entire timeline. He's dying all at once. The Dalek Asylum. Androzani."

"What did you say? Did you say the Dalek Asylum?"

"Now he's dying in London, with us."

"It is done." I heard Simeons voice echo and I saw the The time stream turns red.

"Oh, dear Goddess." Vastra gasped.

"What's wrong?" Dad asked.

"A universe without the Doctor. There will be consequences. Jenny, with me." They leave.

"The Dalek Asylum. You said it was me that saved you. How? Victorian London. How, how could I have been in Victorian London?" Clara asked, in total panic mode.

"No. Please, stop. My life, my whole life is burning." The Doctor said.

Suddenly nothing hurt anymore. I felt… in peace. "Mum? Dad?" I asked and then everything went white.


	29. The Day of The Doctor

**The Day of The Doctor**

I awoke in a soft bed to a faint humming sound. I was in the Tardis's enfermery. I opened my eyes to see a strangely surprising sight: The Doctor asleep on a chair next to the right side of the bed. The lights were dimmed and there was a glass of flowers on the nightstand to the left of the bed.

"Doctor?" I asked softly.

The Doctor's eyes shot open, "Oh, you're awake!" He then scooped me into a hug which I returned with confusion. I pushed away after a few seconds, the hug getting rather awkward for me. "Um, thanks?"

The Doctor sighed, "Amelia, I never meant to make you feel unwelcome-"

"Then what did you mean to do?" I spat angrily. "You agreed to give me a trial run for my apprenticeship, which you suggested, by the way, and all you do is focus on Clara! Clara this and Clara that! I thought I was going to be learning about becoming a Time Lady, not trying to figure out some human girl's life!" I sat back, shocked at my outburst. "I-I'm-" I said quietly. I looked down and tears started to form in my eyes.

"It was supposed to be a test." The Doctor said, running his hand over his face. "One of the… drawbacks of being a Time Lord, or in your case a Time Lady, is that we live very, very long lives. I've had to learn, the hard way, that you will be alone for most of your life, called an outsider, discriminated against because of being a Time Lord. It's been a long and lonely life, companions come and go, never staying for long. I've made mistakes of getting too attached. That only makes the separation worse."

The Doctor paused. "I'd forgotten that you are only a time-tot compared to me. I'm almost 2,000 years old, Amelia." My eyes widened at that. "I shouldn't have been cold to you. Time-tots, Time Lords under 300 years old, yes, I'm also including your Mum in this, don't do well on their own and adventually become…. become insane from the lack of contact."

"A test?" That was all I could choke out.

The Doctor closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again. "Yes but now I see that test was unfair. Will you forgive me? Start anew?"

I frowned, "What about Clara."

"She's home with Angie and Artie. She refused to come back onto the Tardis, saying that she needed time. After what just happened, I don't blame her."

"She's done?"

The Doctor nodded, "Yes. She's not coming back. I told her so… it didn't end pretty. You don't scream and cry that much, do you?"

I let out a tiny laugh, "No. I don't. If I do, I certainly don't do it in front of people."

The Doctor stood up, "So, let me ask you this properly. Amelia Rose Harkness, will you be my Apprentice?"

I nodded, "Yes, I will be your Apprentice-"

"You're supposed to say Master." The Doctor whispered.

I blanched, "Master? I'm not a slave."

The Doctor laughed, "It's only traditional. Like you call Master in an apprentice blacksmithing job. It's like that."

"Oh. Then, Yes, Doctor. I will be your Apprentice, Master." I bowed my head and The Doctor fully bowed to me. Then he straightened up.

"Well Finally!" My Dad said, opening up the door to the enfermery.

My Mum followed closely to me. "Glad you two worked it out pumpkin."

I blushed at the nickname. "Dad! I'm an Apprentice, I will not tolerate nicknames of that sort of nature!"

Mum smiled, "Alright, _sweetheart._ "

"MUM!"

* * *

"Amelia," Mum asked, knocking on the door to my room on the Tardis. I was currently sitting on my bed reading a book about famous females in Time Lord history in my bathrobe.

I put a bookmark in the book and closed it, setting the book down next to me on my bed, "Yeah Mum?"

Mum came in brushing her blond hair out of her face as she sat down, "Um, what do you think about us moving to Earth?"

"Why?" I asked, confused. "What's wrong with Drax?"

"Well, we only moved there to raise you safely." Mum said, "Now that you are under The Doctor's protection, your father and I feel as though it's time to head back to Earth. We do have to check on Torchwood, which your father is still, technically, in charge of and I have to see if Luke Smith needs any help with Terra Firma."

"Can I finished high school first Mum? There's only three months left of senior year, the last time I checked."

"Of course, but your father and I need to move our things back into our house on Earth and that will take a while."

"Yeah, that's okay. I was going to have to leave Drax anyway to travel with The Doctor. Is there anyway that I can tell my friends were I am going and who and what I am?"

Mum thought about it, "Only those you can trust absolutely."

I gave Mum a small smile, "Thanks."

Mum stood up and kissed me on the forehead, "Well, get showered and changed into some cloths. We're checking in on Torchwood today. Then your father and I are going to see if our house back on Earth is still standing." Mum left.

* * *

I walked into the console room of the Tardis wearing tight dark blue Jeans and a light blue t-shirt. The Jeans had one small frayed hole on the right side, just above the knee, allowing pink skin to be seen through. "Ah, there you are, Amelia." The Doctor said. "We're just going to make a pit stop on Earth before you're surprised."

"A surprise?" I asked, puzzled, then I narrowed my eyes when I saw both of my parents grinning. "What surprise?"

The Doctor smiled, "A surprise. I guess you'll just have to find out. Okay! And there." The Doctor said as he landed the Tardis. "Torchwood Complex, September 2013… hopefully."

Mum rolled her eyes, "You definitely need to get better at that Doctor."

"Hey, you try steering a time machine all by yourself." The Doctor said. "Oh, by the way, Amelia, catch!"

The Doctor took something that was on the console and threw it in my direction. I fumbled, but I still managed to catch it. It was a sleek black and white pen. "A pen."

"Not just any pen."

My eyes widened. "Sonic?" I whispered. "Thank you! Is this the surprise, because I love it!" I ran up and hugged The Doctor who chuckled and hugged back.

"This is a gift. It is customary for an Master to give their apprentice a gift at the beginning and then again at the end of their apprenticeship in Time Lord society. And no, that was not the surprise."

The Doctor and I broke the hug. "Having my own sonic wasn't the surprise?! It surely felt like one."

"Well, prepared to get a bigger surprise later." The Doctor said, smirking.

I put my new sonic pen in my jean pocket. "Okay, let's go see Torchwood. Oh yeah, Mum, haven't you regenerated since coming here? How will they know that it's you?"

"Very easily. I'll be the one on Jack's arm." Mum smirked and I blanched.

"Mum!"

* * *

At that, we walked out of the Tardis and into the Torchwood control room where Gwen and the Torchwood team were, again, waiting. "Amelia, Jack!" Came the calls.

I smiled as Gwen hugged me, asking how I was. "I'm fine, Gwen. Better than fine, I'm great!"

"Where's Susan?" Ianto asked.

"Right here." My mum repled, smirking at the shocked look on Ianto's face.

"Bloody hell, you're tall!" Ianto exclaimed. I bust out laughing.

"And blond!" Owen shouted in shock.

The Doctor and I were walking casually around London. Mum and Dad were visiting their home and then, after they made sure that it was still there, they were planning on stopping by Terra Firma. I sipped my lemonade.

"You know, London is really beautiful. I'm glad that I get to see it on a day where I'm not running for my life."

I snorted, "You do get into lots of trouble, don't you. Mum and Dad have told me about some of your adventures as bedtime stories, mostly starting from your ninth through now."

The Doctor looked at me, "Bedtime stories?"

I smirked at the shocked look on The Doctor's face, "Yep, I wouldn't go to bed if they told me anything else."

Then The Doctor chuckled, "I hope they only said good things."

"Oh, I normally wanted the battles and speeches. Those were amazing. Actually, now that I think about it, your adventures didn't put me to sleep, but only kept me up long after my parents had closed the door." I laughed.

"Well, we're almost at your surprise now." The Doctor said. I playfully narrowed my eyes at the quick change in topic. "It's just about, here."

We came around a building and saw…. "A secondary school?"

The Doctor smirked, "No, your first undercover mission."

I blinked, "What?"

"I got you a job as a Librarian. You're mission is to be a normal… human," The Doctor dropped his voice to a whisper at that, then brought it back to normal. I looked around and no one, besides us, was out on the streets, "And to get through a year or two without anyone finding out."

"A year or two?" I exclaimed.

"Remember, we have the Tardis. You can leave whenever you want to."

"And what exactly is my mission?" I asked, "I doubt it is to get through a year of school trying to pass off as a human."

"Ah, that would be telling. I'm sure you'll figure it out adventually." The Doctor smirked.

* * *

 _ **Coal Hill Secondary School**_

I stood at the front circulation desk in the school's library. I methodically checked books in, opening the book up to the back cover, scanning it into the computer system until I heard a beep sound, closed the book and then put it on the 'to be shelved' bright green cart that looked like someone threw up all over it.

I glanced at the clock which read five till three. The day was almost done. I had replaced the school's Clerical Librarian while she went on maternity leave for a year. So far, it was an interesting job. I got to see how children from Earth went to school and learn some of their customs like going to a football game, of which I had tickets to this coming Saturday. It was one of those faculty bonding things. I didn't mind that much though.

The moment the bell rang, the library went from completely silent to students yelling, laughing and chatting to their friends. I sighed as I remembered those times with my friends back on Drax. I put the last of the books on the cart when Tom ran in, weaving between the kids going out of the library. He stopped short at the desk.

"Tom, what is it?" I asked while shutting down the desk computer.

"Are you okay? There was a call for you at the office, from your doctor." Tom said out of breath.

I smiled a bit. I had been 'undercover' for about three months without seeing The Doctor. He probably thought I needed a break, "Yeah, I'm fine. It's only a routine check-up. Did he leave an address?"

At the question Tom looked puzzled for a second then handed me a slip of paper.

"Thanks Tom. Are you coming to the game on Saturday?" I asked, trying to make small talk.

"Yes, are you?

"I planned to, as long as there's no alien invasion that I have to stop." I joked. I saw the look on Tom's face, "Oh. Too soon?" I guess it took people longer than I thought to get used to the idea of aliens considering Terra Firma, Torchwood and Unit went public all at the same time.

"Yeah." Tom got out. He looked like he was either going to faint or throw up.

I inwardly sighed. Only if he knew… "Well, see you later." I said and escaped to the break room in the back of the library to gather my belongings. I grabbed my black motorcycle Jacket, helmet and gloves, put them on and practically ran to my motorcycle. It was small, sleek with a black and white design. I put my purse in the small luggage compartment attached behind my seat and drove off.

* * *

I stopped the bike at a top of a hill and saw the Tardis parked at the bottom. I smiled and drove the motorcycle down the hill, at a reasonable speed. I didn't see the need to kill myself today. I got off, turned the bike off. I opened the door and rolled the bike in.

"Draught!" I heard The Doctor yell from somewhere. I looked around until I saw The Doctor sitting on the steps up to the console area reading a book.I smiled and snapped my fingers. The door swung shut. "Fancy a week in ancient Mesopotamia followed by future Mars?"

"It depends. As long as we don't encounter any Ice Warriors."

The Doctor gave a small wince. "Agreed."

I gave out a small giggle and hugged The Doctor, "I've missed you. Everything's so boring without you." We parted.

"Have you learned anything?" The Doctor asked.

I snorted, "Nothing. Are Earth schools always this boring?"

"Wellllll it depends on what's going on at the time you visit."

I narrowed my eyes and opened my mouth to reply and suddenly an alarm sounded. "What's happening?"

The Doctor raced over to the console. "Whoa, whoa. We're taking off, but the engines aren't going."

I looked on the video feed and saw a clawlike grapple come down and grab onto the Tardis. I zoomed in and saw that there was a helicopter with UNIT written on white on the side. I sighed, "Doctor, you call Kate and I'll call Mom."

The Doctor nodded as I took out my cell and speed dialed Mom, "Hey, Mom"

"Amelia! How are you?"

"Yeah I'm good. Actually, do you know of any reason why UNIT would be lifting and carrying the Tardis by helicopter?" I paused for a response.

"What?! Please don't tell me you are in the Tardis right now." Mom responded.

"Um, okay. I won't."

I heard Mom sigh on the other end, "They should really check if someone is in it first." Mom grumbled, "Have you called Kate?"

"The Doctor's calling her now. DOCTOR!" I screamed as I saw him start to fall out of the Tardis. I dropped the phone, sprinted and caught The Doctor by his feet. "Next time, would it kill you to knock?" The Doctor asked into the black corded telephone…..Whoa! I'm just going to pop you on hold."

The Doctor's feet slip from my grasp, "Doctor!" I yelled.

"I'm underneath, Lia!" I heard The Doctor yell.

"Oh, thank Drax." I muttered. I heard my name being faintly yelled from, somewhere. My eyes widened. I ran back to my phone, "Mom, we're _fine_."

"Do not scare me like that again, young lady." Mom snapped. Then I heard her voice yell, "They're fine!"

I looked out the door and saw the ground getting closer, "I have to go."

"Be careful." Mom said as I hung up. I slid my cell into my pocket and walked out of the Tardis, which was now on the ground. I looked around and discovered we were in Trafalgar Square. Military soldiers dressed in black were lined up behind Kate Stewart and another person I didn't recognize. I glanced behind me and saw metal line dividers and a crowd of people wondering what was going on, along with news reporters. I groaned and thought about all the questions I would get when I went into work tomorrow.

Kate Stewart opened up a badge and showed it to The Doctor, "Doctor, as Chief Scientific Officer, may I extend the official apologies of unit."

"Kate Lethbridge Stewart, a word to the wise. As I'm sure your father would have told you, I don't like being picked up." The Doctor winced as he said that.

"That probably sounded better in his head." I put in. "Hey Kate."

Kate nodded in my direction, " I'm acting on instructions direct from the throne. Sealed orders from her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth the First."

"Elizabeth the First?"

Kate gives an old envelope to The Doctor, "Her credentials are inside." The Doctor is about to break the seal on the message when Kate points back to the National Gallery. "No. Inside."

"Nice scarf." The Doctor said, nodding to the girl who was most likely Kate's assistant.

"What's our cover story for this?" Kate asked her assistant as we began walking.

"Er, Derren Brown."

"Again?"

"Oh, we've sent him flowers."

I fell behind with the assistant, "Hey, what's your name?" I asked her.

The girl looked surprised I was even talking to her, "Um, OsGood. Petronella OsGood. But most people here call me OsGood or 'Hey You.' I would prefer Nella though, but, well, no one's asked me for my opinion."

"Atten-shun! Right, I want a secure perimeter around the gallery." A soldier yelled as we started climbing up the steps.

"That's terrible." I responded, shocked. "Well, I'm Amelia Harkness. My friends call me Lia. Nice to meet you, Nella." I held out my hand.

 **(From here on in, OsGood will be referred to as Nella since that's what name Lia knows her as)**

Nella's eyes grew wide before realizing I had my hand out and shook it cautiously, "Harkness? Are your parents Susan and Jack Harkness of Torchwood by any chance?"

"Yes, actually. Do you know them?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"I've just heard stories." Nella admitted.

We were now walking through the National Gallery.

"Yeah. They've both done some amazing stuff." I agreed then I broke off, seeing The Doctor stop short up ahead. I speed up to stand by him. "Doctor, what-?" I stopped and stared at the painting. That shouldn't be possible. "But, but, that's not possible." I stammered. I glanced at The Doctor, who had grown pale.

"No more." The Doctor whispered.

"That's the title." Kate said.

"I know the title." The Doctor snapped.

"Also known as Gallifrey Falls." Kate said.

The Doctor breathed in, "This painting doesn't belong here, not in this time or place."

"Obviously." I said.

"It's the fall of Arcadia, Gallifrey's second city."

"But how is it doing that?" I asked, "How is that possible? It's an oil painting in 3D." I stepped foward and lifted my hand up before lowering it again.

"Time Lord art. Bigger on the inside. A slice of real time, frozen."

"Elizabeth told us where to find it, and its significance." Kate continued.

I felt The Doctor grab my hand. "You okay?" I asked.

"He was there."

"Who was?"

"Me. The other me. The one I don't talk about."

"I don't understand." I whispered.

"I've had many faces, many lives. I don't admit to all of them. There's one life I've tried very hard to forget. He was the Doctor who fought in the Time War, and that was the day he did it. The day I did it. The day he killed them all. The last day of the Time War. The war to end all wars between my people and the Daleks. And in that battle there was a man with more blood on his hands than any other, a man who would commit a crime that would silence the universe. And that man was me."

"But the Time War's over." I protested, "Why have you brought us here to look at a painting?"

"The painting only serves as Elizabeth's credentials," Kate explained, "Proof that the letter is from her. It's not why you're here."

The Doctor breaks the wax seal and unfolds the paper and reads it. After a while, "What happened?"

"Easier to show you." Kate said.

We followed Kate for a while. A metal shutter comes down behind us as we stood in front of a painting on wood of Gloriana herself.

I smirked at the picture, "Elizabeth the First. You knew her, then?" And next to Gloriana in the painting, in period costume, is The Doctor in his tenth form."

"A long time ago." The Doctor replied.

Kate opens the painting to reveal a secret door. "This way. Welcome to the Under Gallery. This is where Elizabeth the First kept all art deemed too dangerous for public consumption."

The Doctor scoops up a handful of the sand on the floor in between two rows of statues covered with dust sheets, "Stone dust."

"Is it important?"

"In twelve hundred years I've never stepped in anything that wasn't."

Nella made a noise that sounded like a cough covering up a snort.

The Doctor turned and faced her and pointed, "Oi, you. Are you sciency?"

"Oh, er, well, er, yes."

"Got a name?" The Doctor asked Nella.

"Yes."

"Good. I've always wanted to meet someone called Yes." Nella blinked. Then blinked again, "Now, I want this stone dust analysed. And I want a report in triplicate, with lots of graphs and diagrams and complicated sums on my desk, tomorrow morning, ASAP, pronto, L O L. See? Job. Do I have a desk?"

"No." Kate said sharply.

"And I want a desk."

"Get a team." Kate said to Nella, "Analyse the stone dust. Inhaler!" Kate said as The Doctor and Kate started walking away.

"Sorry about him." I said softly to Nella.

"It's okay, Lia." Nella said, "You should catch up." I nodded, gave her a reassuring smile and then ran to catch up to The Doctor. Further into the under gallery, the Doctor spots the red fez in a display case. He takes it out and puts it on.

I laughed, "Doctor." I groaned out, exasperated, "Are you ever not going to put on a fez?"

"Nope, never."

We walked forward into another room with broken glass on the floor and alien paintings along the wall.

"As you instructed, nothing has been touched." A scientist said.

"This is why we called you in." Kate said.

"3D art again." I noted.

"Interesting."

"The broken glass?" I asked

"No, where it's broken from. Amelia, what's different about the glass?" The Doctor asked.

I looked at him, surprised. The Doctor nodded, encouragingly, "Hmm. Um, the shatter pattern."

"Okay, good. What about it?" The Doctor said.

I peered at the glass, "Well, its…. Its," I thought about it. "It's been broken from the inside!" I said the last part rushed as I got it. The Doctor hi-fived me and I smiled.

"As you can see, all the paintings are landscapes. No figures of any kind." Kate said.

"So?" The Doctor asked, still looking at the glass.

My eyes widened as I figured out what she meant, "There used to be." I breathed out. Kate nodded at me and handed The Doctor a pad with the original image on it. "Something's got out the paintings." I said.

"Lots of somethings. Dangerous." The Doctor said.

Kate sighed, "This whole place has been searched. There's nothing here that shouldn't be, and nothing's got out."

Suddenly a swirling blob of light, like a funnel appeared in the room.

The Doctor loudly groaned, "Oh no, not now."

"What is it?" I asked.

"No, not now. I'm busy." The Doctor yelled at it.

"Is it to do with the paintings?" Kate asked.

"No, no. This is different. I remember this. Almost remember. Oh, of course. This is where I come in." The Doctor throws the fez into the… thing. Then yells, "Geronimo!" And leaps into it himself.

"Doctor!" I yelled. I started to go toward it until Kate grabbed me by the arm and pulled me back.

"Wait! We don't know what that thing is." Kate said. I nodded and turned back to look at the swirl, which had faded.

The conversation we heard was confusing to say the least as the swirl came back into existence,

"Oh, lovely."

"Your Majesties. Probably a good time to run." The Doctor said.

"But what about the creature?" Two women yelled.

"Elizabeth, whichever one of you is the real one, turn and run in the opposite direction to the other one." A Man said.

"Of course, my love."

"Stay alive, my love. I am not done with you yet."

"Thanks. Lovely." The man said.

"I understand. Live for me, my darling. We shall be together again."

"Well, won't that be nice?" The man said.

"One of those was a Zygon." The Doctor said.

"Yeah."

"Big red rubbery thing covered in suckers."

"Yeah."

"Venom sacs in the tongue."

"Yeah, I'm getting the point, thank you."

"Nice."

"Doctor, are you okay?" I yelled.

"Ah, hello, Amelia. Lia can you hear me?"

"Yeah, it's me. We can hear you. Where are you?" I asked.

"Where are we?" The Doctor asked.

"England, 1562." The man who spoke earlier yelled.

"Who are you talking to?" I yelled back.

"Myself." The Doctor and the man yelled at the same time.

"Can you come back through?" Kate yelled to The Doctor.

"Physical passage may not be possible in both directions. Its. Ah! Hang on. Fez incoming!" The Doctor yelled and supposedly sent it through.

"I didn't get it!" I yelled back.

"So where did it go?" The man asked.

"What's the other man's name?" I yelled.

"Doctor!" The man yelled back.

"There can't be two Doctors." I yelled.

"Good, keep them talking." Kate said and pulled out her cell, Malcolm? Malcolm, I need you to send me one of my father's incident files. Codenamed Cromer. 70s or 80s depending on the dating protocol." And she began walking away.

"He's the regeneration before me!" The Doctor yelled.

My eyes widened, "Oh boy. That's going to be confusing." I said, "I'll just call you Ten then!" I yelled to Ten.

"Fine by me!" Ten yelled back. "Are you his companion?" Ten asked.

I snorted, "Nope! I'm his apprentice."

"Apprentice?!" Ten asked, his voice fluctuating. "But that's not possible unless….. No WAY!"

"Way!" I responded, smiling.

"Okay, you used to be me, you've done all this before. What happens next?" Ten asked.

"I don't remember."

"How can you forget this?"

"Hey, hang on. It's not my fault. You're obviously not paying enough attention. Reverse the polarity!"

"It's not working." The Doctor says.

"We're both reversing the polarity." Ten argued.

"Yes, I know that."

"There's two of us. I'm reversing it, you're reversing it back again. We're confusing the polarity."

"Anyone lose a fez?" An unknown male voice asked.

"You." Ten said coldly. "How can you be here? More to the point, why are you here?"

"Good afternoon. I'm looking for The Doctor." The new man asked.

"Well, you've certainly come to the right place." Ten said.

"Good. Right. Well, who are you boys? Oh, of course. Are you his companions?"

"His companions?" The Doctor asked, sounding offended.

"They get younger all the time. Well, if you could point me in the general direction of the Doctor?... Really?"

"Yeah." The Doctor said.

"Really." Ten replied.

"You're me? Both of you?"

I sighed. 'Another one.' I though.

"Yep." Ten said, 'popping' the 'p'.

"Even that one?"

"Yes!" The Doctor said.

"You're my future selves?"

"Yes!" Both The Doctor and Ten yelled.

"Am I having a midlife crisis? Why are you pointing your screwdrivers like that? They're scientific instruments, not water pistols. Look like you've seen a ghost."

I laughed at the water pistol line. "Who do I call this version?"

"Who's that?" The man asked.

"Apparently, our apprentice." Ten said.

"No." The man said, "Absolutely not."

"Hey, no dissing Lia." The Doctor said.

The man sighed, "Just call me warrior."

"Encircle them." A new voice yelled out. I sighed, "Which of you is the Doctor? The Queen of England is bewitched. I would have the Doctor's head."

"Well, this has all the makings of your lucky day." Warrior said.

Kate returned from her cell phone call, "There's three of them now." I said to her. Kate just shook her head.

"There's a precedent for that." Kate said.

"What is that?" The new man said accusingly.

"Oh, the pointing again. They're screwdrivers! What are you going to do, assemble a cabinet at them?" The warrior scolded.

"That thing, what witchcraft is it?"

"Ah, yes. Now that you mention it, that is witchcraft. Yes, yes, yes. Witchy witchcraft. Hello? Hello in there. Excuse me. Hello!"

"Am I talking to the wicked witch of the well?" The Doctor asked.

"He means you." Kate whispered to me.

"Why am I the witch?" I whispered back.

"Amelia."

"Hello?" I said timidly.

"Amelia, hi, hello. Hello. Would you mind telling these prattling mortals to get themselves begone?" The Doctor asked.

"What he said." I said.

"Yes, tiny bit more color."

I sighed, "Right. Prattling mortals, off you pop, or I'll... turn you all into frogs." I cringed.

"Ooo, frogs. Nice. You heard her."

"Doctor, what's going on?" I asked.

"It's a timey-wimey thing." The Doctor explained, but really didn't.

"Timey what? Timey-wimey?" The Warrior asked.

"I've no idea where he picks that stuff up." Ten said.

"The Queen. The Queen." Men chanted.

"You don't seem to be kneeling. How tremendously brave of you." Elizabeth said.

"Which one are you? What happened to the other one?" Ten asked.

"Indisposed. Long live the Queen."

"Long live the Queen." The Soldiers chanted

"Arrest these men. Take them to the Tower."

"That is not the Queen of England, that's an alien duplicate." Ten said.

"And you can take it from him, cos he's really checked." The Doctor said.

Ten sighed, "Oh, shut up."

"Venom sacs in the tongue." The Doctor reminded Ten.

Ten groaned, "Seriously, stop it."

"No, hang on. The Tower." The Doctor said. "Did you say the Tower? Ah, yes, brilliant. Love the Tower. Breakfast at eight, please. Will there be Wi-Fi?"

"Are you capable of speaking without flapping your hands about?" The Warrior complained.

"Yes. No. I demand to be incarcerated in the Tower immediately with my co-conspirators Sandshoes and Granddad."

"Granddad?" The Warrior almost yelled.

"They're not sandshoes." Ten snapped.

"Yes, they are." The Warrior agreed.

"Silence. The Tower is not to be taken lightly." Elizabeth said, "Very few emerge again."

"Dear God, that man's clever. Come on." Kate said and started walking out. I followed.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"My office, otherwise known as the Tower of London." Kate replied.

* * *

We were in a black car driving to the Tower and Kate was on her cell, "The Doctor will be trying to send us a message. We're looking for a string of numerals from around 1550, approximately. Priority One. I'm going to need access to the Black Archive."

We reached the door to the Black Archive, "The Black Archive. Highest security rating on the planet. The entire staff have their memories wiped at the end of every shift. Automated memory filters in the ceiling. Access, please." Kate said.

"Ma'am." A soldier said.

Kate hands him her key. "Atkins, isn't it?"

"Yes, ma'am. First day here." Atkins replied.

"Been here ten years." Kate said softly to me.

"Lock and key? Bit basic, isn't it?" I asked.

"Can't afford electronic security down here." Kate replied, "Got to keep the Doctor out. The whole of the Tower is Tardis-proofed. He really wouldn't approve of the collection."

"But you let me in. And I'm a Time Lady, well, one in-training."

"You have a top level security rating from your last visit." Kate said.

"Sorry, my what?" I asked, my voice rising a bit as I noticed a board with pictures of me visiting this room, that I didn't remember being taken. "You know, Mom and Dad going to be pissed you erased my memory. They're kinda sensitive to that stuff."

"Apologies. We have to screen all his known associates. We can't have information about the Doctor and the Tardis falling into the wrong hands. The consequences could be disastrous." Kate said with no emotion what-so-ever.

"Is that a vortex manipulator?" I asked, going over to the big glass box in the middle.

"Time travel. A vortex manipulator bequeathed to the UNIT archive by, well, your father, Captain Jack Harkness on the occasion of his death. Well, one of them. No one can know we have this, not even our allies." Kate said.

"Why not?" I asked, curious. "Doesn't this break treaties or something like that?"

Kate sighed, "Think about it. Americans with the ability to rewrite history? You've seen their movies."

I shrugged, "Good point. Okay, so this is how we're going to rescue the Doctor."

"I'm not sure there's enough power for a two-way trip. In any event, we don't have the activation code. The Doctor knows we have this, so he's always kept the code from us. Let's hope he changes his mind."

Kate's phone rings. "Yes? Well, if you've found it, photograph it and send it to my phone."

I looked over and saw Nella and McGillop. "Er, Kate? Should they be here? Why have they followed us?"

"Oh, they've probably just finished disposing of the humans a bit early." Kate said without a care.

"The humans?" I asked dangerously, stepping back from Kate.

"Dear me. I really do get into character, don't I?" Kate spits some venom at me, then transforms into a Zygon.

"Oh Drax." I cursed. "What the hell have you done with them?"

"The Under Gallery is secured." Zygon-Nella said.

The numbers on the photograph on Kate's phone include 231163. I quickly memorized them, grabbed the vortex manipulator, puts it on and copies them into it.

"Prepare to dispose of one more human. We have acquired the device." Zygon-Kate said.

I smirked, "You should really watch your prisoners. Activation code, right?" I pressed a button and was whisked away.

* * *

I re-appeared in a deserted, old looking, stone hallway. I took out my cell and called Mom. "Hey Mom, yeah, uh, Code Zero. Don't trust anyone in Unit."

"What the hell happened in thirty minutes!?" Mom asked/yelled.

"Nothing good. I've got to rescue The Doctor's. They've gotten themselves in a bit of a bind."

"Doctor _s_?" Mom asked, saying the 's' longer.

"It's complicated." I said, "I've got to go.

"Don't you dare hang-!" I ended the call and ran down a random hallway till I got to a wooden door. I heard arguing behind it.

I opened the door to see The Doctor, Ten and Warrior looking at me, stunned.

"How did you do that?" The Doctor asked.

"Uh, It wasn't locked." I said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Right."

"So they're both you?" I asked, looking at 10 and the warrior.

"Yes."

"Hey Ten, Warrior. I'm the voice coming out of that spiral light thing."

"Time fissure." The Doctor corrected.

"Can't I just call it a portal?" I asked. I paused, "Hang on. Three of you in one cell, and none of you thought to try the door?"

"It should have been locked." Warrior commented.

"Yes. Exactly. Why wasn't it locked?" The Doctor asked.

"Because I was fascinated to see what you would do upon escaping." I turned around to see Elizabeth standing at the door, "I understand you're rather fond of this world. It's time I think you saw what's going to happen to it."

* * *

We were now walking in the Zygon control center.

"The Zygons lost their own world. It burnt in the first days of the Time War. A new home is required." Zygon-Elizabeth said.

"So they want this one." I said.

"Not yet. It's far too primitive. Zygons are used to a certain level of comfort."

"Commander, why are these creatures here?" A Zygon asked.

"Because I say they should be. It is time you too were translated. Observe this. I believe you will find it fascinating." Zygon-Elizabeth says. The Zygon puts his hand on a glass cube with dents in the corners, then vanishes. The 3D landscape painting from the Under Gallery is nearby.

"That's the Zygon in the picture now." I realized.

"It's not a picture, it's a stasis cube. Time Lord art. Frozen instants in time, bigger on the inside, but could be deployed as-" The Warrior started.

"Suspended animation." Ten concluded, "Oh, that's very good. The Zygons all pop inside the pictures, wait a few centuries till the planet's a bit more interesting, and then out they come."

" You see, Lia, they're stored in the paintings in the Under Gallery, like cup-a-soups. Except you add time, if you can picture that. Nobody could picture that. Forget I said cup-a-soups." The Doctor said.

"And now the world is worth conquering. So the Zygons are invading the future from the past." I said.

"Exactly." The Doctor said.

"And do you know why I know that you're a fake?" Ten started, "Because you're such a bad copy. It's not just the smell, or the unconvincing hair, or the atrocious teeth, or the eyes just a bit too close together, or the breath that could stun a horse. It's because my Elizabeth, the real Elizabeth, would never be stupid enough to reveal her own plan. Honestly, why would you do that?"

"Because it's not my plan. And I am the real Elizabeth." Elizabeth said, putting her hands on her hips.

Ten blinked, "Okay. So, backtracking a moment just to lend context to my earlier remarks."

"My twin is dead in the forest. I am accustomed to taking precautions." She produces a dagger from the garter beneath her skirts, "These Zygon creatures never even considered that it was me who survived rather than their own commander. The arrogance that typifies their kind."

"Zygons?" I asked.

Elizabeth huffed, "Men."

I raised an eyebrow, still not trusting her, "And you actually killed one of them?"

"I may have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but at the time, so did the Zygon. The future of my kingdom is imperilled. Doctor, can I rely on your service?" Elizabeth asked.

"Well, I'm going to need my Tardis." Ten said.

"It has been procured already." Elizabeth said smugly.

"Ah."

"But first, my love, you have a promise to keep." Elizabeth said.

"Promise?" I asked.

We were now in a castle courtyard watching Ten get married to Elizabeth the First. "I now pronounce you man and wife." The Clergyman concluded.

"You may kiss the bride." Elizabeth does the enthusiastic kissing. And I laughed.

"Is there a lot of this in the future?" The Warrior asked.

The Doctor looked uncomfortable, "It does start to happen, yeah."

"God speed, my love." Elizabeth said.

"I will be right back." Ten said, He runs into the Tardis.

"Right then, back to the future." The Doctor said.

"Oh, I love that movie." I commented as we got into the Tardis, but a different one from the one that I was used to.

"You've let this place go a bit." The Warrior said.

"Ah, it's his grunge phase. He grows out of it." The Doctor said.

"Don't you listen to them." Ten shouted.

An alarm sounds. The tenth Doctor gets an electric shock. "Ow! The desktop is glitching."

"Three of us from different time zones. It's trying to compensate." The Warrior said as the desktop changed again.

"Hey, look. The round things." The Doctor said.

"I love the round things." Ten commented.

"What are the round things?" I asked.

"No idea." Ten replied.

"Oh dear, the friction contrafibulator. Ha! There, stabilized." The desktop changes again to the one were I am familiar with.

"Oh, you've redecorated. I don't like it." Ten said.

"Oh. Oh yeah? Oh, you never do. Listen, we're going to the National Gallery. The Zygons are underneath it." The Doctor argued.

"No, UNIT HQ. They followed us there. To the Black Archive." I said. All three of them turned around and stared at me, "Okay, um, so all I know is what the Zygon-Kate told me. Is it bad?"

The Doctor answered, "The name has 'black' in it. Of course it's bad!"

I watched as The Doctor, Ten and Warrior worked on the console to do, actually, I wasn't quite sure what they were doing since they immediately sprung into action and didn't bother to tell me what they were doing.

Static cracked from somewhere, sounding like some sort of radio waves. I could hear soft speaking at the other end. Ten pushed a couple of buttons and the sound got clearer. "-are deemed so dangerous, it will self-destruct in-" I heard Nella say.

"Five minutes." Kate finished.

"Self-destruct?!" I whisper yelled. "What the hell are they doing?" All three Doctors turned around and shushed me before turning back to the console.

An alarm sounds through the radio.

"There's a nuclear warhead twenty feet beneath us. Are you sitting comfortably?" Kate said.

"You would destroy London?" Another Kate said.

"To save the world, yes, I would."

"You're bluffing."

"You really think so? Somewhere in your memory is a man called Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge Stewart. I am his daughter."

"Science leads, Kate. Is that what you meant? Is that what your father meant?" The Doctor said. Startled, I looked to see The Doctor holding some sort of microphone and speaking into it.

"Doctor?" Kate asked.

"Space-Time Telegraph, Kate. A gift from me to your father, hotline straight to the Tardis.I know about the Black Archive and I know about the security protocol. Kate, please. Please tell me you are not about to do something unbelievably stupid."

"I'm sorry, Doctor. Switch it off." Kate demanded.

"Not as sorry as you will be." Ten said, "This is not a decision you will ever be able to live with."

"Kate, we're trying to bring the Tardis in. Why can't we land?" The Doctor asked.

"I said, switch it off."

"No, Kate, please. Just listen to me!" The Doctor said.

"The Tower of London, totally Tardis-proof." Ten said.

"I thought humans didn't possess that kind of technology yet." I stated. "Mom and Dad will be pissed."

"Alien technology plus human stupidity. Trust me, it's unbeatable." The Doctor said.

"We don't need to land." The Warrior said told us.

"Yeah, we do. A tiny bit. Try and keep up." The Doctor snipped.

"No, we don't. We don't. There is another way. Cup-a-soup. What is cup-a-soup?" The Warrior asked.

The Doctor took out his cell, "Lia," he taused the cell to me and I caught it. "Call McGillop."

I stared at the phone. "Me? Are you sure he will believe me?"

"If he doesn't, put me on." The Doctor said.

I nodded and called McGillop. "McGillop." I heard on the other end.

"Take a look at your phone and confirm who you're talking to." I said seriously.

"But that's not possible. I was just-"

"You were just talking to The Doctor and I was next to him. I know. I'm a time traveller, figure it out. I need you to send the Gallifrey Falls painting to the Black Archive. Understood?"

"Understood, ma'am. But why would I take it there?"

* * *

I ran a bit behind the three Doctors as we went through the warzone of Archadia. I couldn't quite take everything in. There were sirens going off, screaming and Daleks repeating 'EXTERMINATE' over and over again.

My eyes were wide and my breath quick as we ran through streets with crumbled buildings. "Doctor, are we almost there?" I asked, my voice wavering.

The Doctor glanced back at me and took my left hand, bringing me next to him. "We'll be out in just a moment."

I nodded, then I noticed something coming around the corner to my right. That something looked like a Dalek. And none of The Doctor's noticed when it pointed its plunger at them. My eyes widened and I yelled, "Look out!"

In hindsight, yelling out probably wasn't the best idea. The Dalek turned to me, stated "EXTERMINATE!" and shot a beam of bright white light that hit me square in the chest. I cried out as I felt basically all my ribs snap and I crumpled to the ground.

"Amelia!" I heard The Doctor yell quietly. Why would he yell quietly? I saw two burly figures farther away firing something at the Dalek while The Doctor hovered over me. I started to hear buzzing and the world span as I began my first regeneration. I screamed as the cells in my body changed, died and changed again. My ribs healed painfully and I could hear the cracks that snapped back into place.

Then It was done. I breathed out as I could breath again. I swallowed and opened my eyes to find The Doctor's face inches from mine.

"Ah!" I screamed, startled and stumbled back, tripping on some rubble but I managed to catch myself. "Don' scare me like tha'!" I growled. "Oh. Ooo. Aye." I smiled, "Apparently I have a scottish accent now." The fact that I was taller was the first thing that I noticed, besides from my speech. Then I noticed that my skin tone had a bit more color in it than my first body.

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Just think about how your mother's going to react." The Doctor's eyes widened, "Oh _shit_."

I smirked, raising my right eyebrow, "Aye. I don' thin' I'm the one in trouble. I be' I can find a way to twis' this to my advantage and avoid Mum's wrath."

"Come on. Ten and Warrior have already made it to The Black Archive." The Doctor said, ignoring my remark. He grabbed my hand and pulled me with him and together we stepped through the painting into The Black Archive.

I looked and saw a destroyed and smoking Dalek in the corner along with other debris. I raised an eyebrow at it then looked at The Doctor.

"Apparently I have a protective streak. Who knew."

I snorted, "Everyone, Doctor."

"Who are you?" Came from my left. I looked and saw two sets of the same people looking at me. I blinked.

"Wow. Talk about twins." I said, "Ma name's Amelia Harkness."

"No you're not." Said Nella, "I met her. She doesn't sound Scottish. She's not you."

"You do know that Time Ladies can regenerate. Ah'm Amelia, Nella."

"How?"

I sighed, "Ye don' stroll throug' an active war zone withou' some consequences."

"So, put that interruption on the side, for the next few hours, until we decide to let you out-" Ten.

"No one in this room will be able to remember if they're human-" Warrior said.

"Or Zygon." Ten concluded. "Whoops a daisy." Ten jumps on to the table. The Doctor's all point their three screwdrivers at a device on the ceiling which does something to the memory filter in the ceiling.

The countdown reaches 7. The two Kate's look at eachother, "Cancel the detonation!" The countdown stops at 5.

"It's funny, isn't it. If I'm a Zygon, then my clothes must be Zygon, too. So, what happens if I lose a shoe or something?" Nella said and coughs. Her duplicate returns the inhaler with a shush gesture. I covered my snort with a cough.

I wandered over to the photo array of past companions, starting with the Doctor's granddaughter, Susan. Then I went over to the Warrior, who is sitting in the a big leather chair.

"Hello."

The Warrior nodded, "Hello. Was that your first time?

I blinked, "Firs' time with wha'?"

"Regeneration."

I sighed and closed my eyes, "Aye." I opened them up again after a few seconds, "The Doctor, my, my Doctor, he's always talking about the day he did it. The day he wiped out the Time Lords to stop the war."

"They aren't wiped out entirely. You're here."

"I'm not a natural Time Lady because of how my mother became one." At The Warriors questioning look, I said, "Spoilers. Why would you do it?" I asked.

"One would."

"You wouldn'. Because you haven' done it yet. It's still in yer future. You would be killing family. Friends."

"You're very sure of yourself."

"He regrets it. Ah see it in his eyes every day. He'd do anythin' to change it."

"Including saving all these people. How many worlds has his regret saved, do you think? Look over there. Humans and Zygons working together in peace. How did you know?" The Warrior asked.

"Yer een. Yer so much younger."

"Then, all things considered, it's time I grew up. I've seen all I needed. The moment has come. " The Warrior turns to an empty spot, wait. I could see a faint outline of a person sitting. "I'm ready."

I narrowed my eyes, "Who's there? Who were yer talkin' to?" I turned back to Warrior but he disappeared. "Doctor!" I yelled, "We have a wee bit of a problem!"

* * *

The Doctor, Ten and I exited the Tardis into a barn. "Ye told you. He hasn' done it yet."

"Go away now, all of you." Warrior said without turning around, "This is for me."

"These events should be time-locked. We shouldn't even be here." Ten said.

"So somethin' let us through." I concluded.

"Go back. Go back to your lives. Go and be the Doctor that I could never be. Make it worthwhile."

"All those years, burying you in my memory." Ten said.

"Pretending you didn't exist. Keeping you a secret, even from myself." The Doctor said.

"Pretending you weren't the Doctor, when you were the Doctor more than anybody else." Ten stated.

"You were the Doctor on the day it wasn't possible to get it right."

"But this time-" Ten said.

"You don't have to do it alone." The Doctor finished. They put their hands on the button together.

"Thank you."

"What we do today is not out of fear or hatred. It is done because there is no other way." Ten said.

"And it is done in the name of the many live we are failing to save." The Doctor looked at me. I couldn't believe what was happening. What I was watching. I shook my head.

"What? What is it? What?"

"Nothin'."

"No, it's something. Tell me."

"Yer told me ye wiped out yer own people." I sighed, "Ma people. I just. I never pictured ye doing it, tha' all." It suddenly goes dark., "Wha's happenin'?" I asked as I saw what was happening on Gallifrey right now.

"Nothing. It's a projection."

"These are the people yer goin' to burn?" I asked, horrified.

"There isn't anything we can do." Ten said.

"He's right. There isn't another way. There never was. Either I destroy my own people or let the universe burn."

I looked at the three Doctor's in anger, "Look at ye. The three of ye. The warrior, the hero, and ye."

"And what am I?" The Doctor asked.

I gave The Doctor a painful look, "Have ye really forgotten?"

"Yes. Maybe, yes."

"We've got enough warriors. Any old galoot can be a hero."

"Then what do I do?"

I gave a sad smile, "What you've always done. Be a doctor. Ye told me the name ye chose was a promise. Wha' was the promise?"

"Never cruel or cowardly." Ten said.

"Never give up, never give in."

The images vanish.

"You're not actually suggesting that we change our own personal history?" Ten asked.

"We change history all the time. I'm suggesting far worse." The Doctor said.

"What, exactly?"

"Gentlemen, I have had four hundred years to think about this. I've changed my mind."

He sonicks the big red button back into the Moment box.

"There's still a billion billion Daleks up there, attacking." Warrior said.

"Yeah, there is. There is."

"But there's something those billion billion Daleks don't know." Ten said.

The Doctor smiled darkly, "Because if they did, they'd probably send for reinforcements."

"Aye! I see!" I said, smiling.

"What?" The Warrior asked.

The Doctor smirked, "This time, there's three of us."

"Oh! Oh, yes, that is good. That is brilliant!"

Ten's eyes lit up, "Oh, oh, oh, I'm getting that too! That is brilliant!"

"Ha, ha, ha! I've been thinking about it for centuries." The Doctor said.

"She didn't just show me any old future, she showed me exactly the future I needed to see!"

"Eh?" The Doctor asked The Warrior, "Who did?"

"Oh, Bad Wolf girl, I could kiss you."

"Sorry, did you just say Bad Wolf?" Ten asked Warrior, panickedly.

"So, what's the plan?"

"The Dalek fleets are surrounding Gallifrey, firing on it constantly." The Warrior said.

"The Sky Trench is holding, but what if the whole planet just disappeared?" Ten asked.

"Tiny bit of an ask." I said, raising my eyebrows at the size of the stunt we were going to pull.

"The Daleks would be firing on each other. They'd destroy themselves in their own crossfire." The Doctor said.

"Gallifrey would be gone, the Daleks would be destroyed, and it would look to the rest of the universe as if they'd annihilated each other." Ten said.

"But where would Gallifrey be?" I asked.

"Frozen. Frozen in an instant of time, safe and hidden away."

"Exactly."

"Like a painting." Warrior finished.

* * *

"Hello, hello, Gallifrey High Command, this is the Doctor speaking." The Doctor said through his monitor. I stood next to it, holding onto the Tardis console. Ten and the Warrior had gone back into their respective Tardis's.

"Hello! Also the Doctor. Can you hear me?" I heard Ten's voice.

"Also the Doctor, standing ready." The Warrior said.

"Dear God, three of them. All my worst nightmares at once." The person who I suspected to be The General remarked. I snorted.

"General, we have a plan." Ten said

"We should point at this moment, it is a fairly terrible plan-"

"And almost certainly won't work."

"I was happy with fairly terrible." The Doctor scowled at Ten.

"Sorry, just thinking out loud." Ten replied.

"We're flying our three Tardises into your lower atmosphere." The Doctor said.

"We're positioned at equidistant intervals around the globe. Equidistant. So grown up." Ten remarked and I giggled.

"We're just about ready to do it." Warrior said.

"Ready to do what?" The general asked.

"We're going to freeze Gallifrey." The Doctor said.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Using our Tardises, we're going to freeze Gallifrey in a single moment in time." Ten explained.

The Warrior explained more, "You know, like those stasis cubes? A single moment in time, held in a parallel pocket universe.

"Except we're going to do it to a whole planet." The Doctor said.

"And all the people on it." Ten finished.

"What? Even if that were possible, which it isn't, why would you do such a thing?" The General asked.

"Because the alternative is burning." The Doctor said darkly.

"And I've seen that." Ten said.

"And I never want to see it again." The Doctor concluded.

"We'd be lost in another universe, frozen in a single moment. We'd have nothing." The General argued.

"You would have hope. And right now, that is exactly what you don't have." The Doctor said.

"It's delusional. The calculations alone would take hundreds of years." The General continued to argue.

Each Tardis has a stasis cube on the console.

"Oh, hundreds and hundreds." The Doctor remarked.

"But don't worry, I started a very long time ago." Ten said.

"Calling the War Council of Gallifrey. This is the Doctor." The first Doctor said.

"You might say I've been doing this all my lives." The Doctor said.

"Good luck." Doctor two said.

"Standing by." Doctor three said.

"Ready." Said Doctor four.

"Commencing calculations." The Warrior said.

"Soon be there." The fifth Doctor said.

"Across the boundaries that divide one universe from another." The Seventh Doctor responded.

"Just got to lock on to his coordinates." The sixth Doctor remarked.

"And for my next trick." The ninth Doctor said.

"I didn't know when I was well off. All twelve of them!" The General exclaimed.

"No, sir. All thirteen!" The General's assistant said.

A new pair of grey eyebrows is seen.

"Sir! The Daleks know that something is happening. They're increasing their fire-power."

"Do it, Doctor. Just do it." The General yelled.

"Okay. Gentlemen, we're ready. Geronimo!" The Doctor yelled and I held on tight to the Tardis.

"Allons-y!" Ten laughed.

"Oh, for God's sake. Gallifrey stands!"

Then it all went white.

* * *

 **Tardis, afterwards**

"You saved Gallifrey." The Doctor said to me after we had said our goodbyes to Warrior and Ten. The Doctor leaned against the Tardis console.

I scrunched up my nose, "No. All I did was tell ye to think outside the box a bit."

The Doctor sighed and rubbed his head, "You're mother's going to kill me."

I tilted my head a bit to the side, "Yer right abou' tha'." My eyes widened, " I'll probably get a yellin' as well." I smirked, "Why don' we wait a bit longer before seein' her."

The Doctor smiled and stepped closer to me. "How much longer?"

"I duno. At leas' another adventure." I said, grinning. "To Gallifrey?"

The Doctor gave a wide smile, "To Gallifrey, my Apprentice."

We laughed, The Doctor spun me around, kissed my forehead and we rushed to the controls.


	30. Epilogue

**Author's Note:** ***Large Exhale.* Wow. This is my last chapter. My Parallel Universe Series has officially ended. Thank you all who stuck with me for three years, including those who only just found this series. You are all very much appreciated!**

 **For those who don't know, I have my next Doctor Who Series already up with the first story called 'Bred for War' and the series is called 'The Archives of Rassilon Series'. It doesn't have a set date for uploads.**

 **I picture Amelia's second body to look like Ellen Page. Her theme song is Wolf King in the album** _ **Battlecry**_ **by Two Steps From Hell.**

* * *

 **Epilogue**

"How much longer are we going to keep running from your mother?" The Doctor asked as I declined yet another call from my overly-worried mother.

"Until she stops callin'." I answered with a laugh.

The Doctor chuckled as he pushed and pulled a couple switches on the Tardis console. "We've been running for twenty-four years."

"Yeah, bu' she don' no tha'. She think's its been a year." I responded, looking at The Doctor. "We're we headed now? Crystal Moons of Vega Prime?"

The Doctor glanced at me, "Where ever you like."

* * *

 **12 years later**

"How did we get inta this mess again?" I asked, breathing hard as we ran down the cobblestone streets with a loud angry mob behind us.

"It wasn't my fault!" The Doctor argued.

I snorted, "Yeah. It wasn' yer fault for parking the Tardis in the middle of Salem in broad daylight."

The Doctor glanced at me and sighed, "I refuse to believe we just started the Salem witch hysteria."

"Oi! This is all on ye, Doctor." I shot back. "I wasn' the one drivin'. Ye was."

* * *

 **7 years later**

"Doctor, nex' time for my sixty-third birthday, can it no' be runin' from Vampires?" I asked heavily as we were, running through dark, empty streets in Venice, Italy.

The Doctor, on the other hand, was grinning like mad, "Vampires! Actual vampires this time!"

I shook my head and kept running.

* * *

 **234 years later**

"Do ye think we should just go back to Earth?" I asked, leaning up against the Tardis console and crossing my arms across my leather-black jacket. My red, curly hair was down at the moment. "Haven' seen Mum in two hundred and seventy-seven years."

"Are you sure?" The Doctor asked.

"As long as we don' tell her my age. I'm fine." I said. Then I narrowed my eyes at him, "You don' plan to, right?"

The Doctor gulped, "And face the wrath of your mother? I think we can keep your age between us for now."

I smirked, "Agreed."


End file.
